something rotten, something good

I crawled out of the leaf litter this morning, and my antennae began to twitch. A waft of chemicals released by rotting meat floated in the morning air. Something died nearby last night — and now the competition begins for me and my kind to claim this resource for our children.

Releasing pheromones (airborne chemical signals), I let my mate know there was a new nursery waiting to be set up. She waved her antennae in response, and we trundled together through the leaf litter to where a mouse that lived in the woodpile had died during the night. To deter all the other boreal burying beetles in the neighborhood that were probably also hurrying to this spot, we released another chemical to mask the rotting meat smell.

Boreal burying beetle on its found prize.  photo by cjslacker CC BY-NC 4.0, some rights reserved.

parents and guardians

As new parents, we boreal burying beetles are quite involved in the care of our young. We protect them and even regurgitate food (partially decomposed flesh) into their mouths like tiny birds. This rich diet allows the larvae to grow very fast.

Another unique advantage our species has is that we carry around extra guardians for our brood. Golden mites hitchhike on our bodies. The mites prey on fly eggs and larvae and this slows down the decomposition of our brood ball, ensuring our larvae continue to have a food source. This is a mutualistic relationship — we help the mites travel to a food source, and they help us keep the flies at bay.

After intensive feeding, our larvae molt one last time and leave the brood ball. Crawling off into the soil, they dig their own little burrows where they form a hard outer covering and rest as pupae over the winter. In the spring they will emerge from their pupae as adults, ready to continue growing and eventually find mates of their own to start the next generation.

from death to green life

My species is a nutrient recycling superstar. By burying the carcasses of dead animals, we ensure the nutrients from their bodies mix into the soil instead of washing away in the rain. Our brood balls are nutrient-rich hot spots. The secretions from our bodies and decomposition of the brood ball release phosphorus, carbon, and nitrogen, which help plants grow.

Next time you walk through a forest, give a thought to the boreal burying beetle — helping new green life grow from the dead.

You can find out more about boreal burying beetles on iNaturalist and other online resources. The following videos provide additional information about burying beetles and other insects that recycle dead animals. (Note: These videos show graphic images of dead and decomposing animals that may not be suitable for everyone.)

This Mite-y Beetle Buries the Dead to Start a Family: 4 1/2 minute video on KQED

Wild Action with Shrew Mole Carcass (California): 12 minute video of Burying Beetle (Nicrophorus)

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