Part Of The Cleanup Crew

American Carrion Beetle (Necrophila americana). Feeds on decaying plants and animals, also on fungi and rotting fruit. Other fly and beetle larvae that are feeding at the same food source may find themselves as part of this Carrion Beetles’ (both adults and larvae) meal.

The adult is approximately 1/2 to 3/4 inch long. Keep the scientific name Necrophila americana in mind if you are going to do any research on this beetle since there are many other Carrion Beetles with many common names.

So glad these critters are around to help clean up our world.

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Published by

Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.