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Index of Subjects --Apple-Mail-38--528768644 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi Lesley, These are so-called burying beetles or sexton beetles in the genus Nicrophorus. There are seven species in Nova Scotia. Several of these beetles (sometimes of 2-3 different species) will cooperatively "bury" small dead animals (hence the name) like mice, bats, frogs, songbirds, etc. Then they lay eggs on the carrion on which the larvae will feed. They reason for this behaviour is that their chief competition for this food source are flies, and the more quickly they can get the dead animal underground, the fewer the eggs that flies are able to lay on them. The sexton beetles are also accompanied by phoretic mites that are specialized predators of fly eggs. Below are some links to further information about these fascinating beetles. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burying_beetle http://www.kendall-bioresearch.co.uk/silphid.htm http://www.earthlife.net/insects/nicrophorus.html All the best! Chris On 3-Sep-08, at 8:59 AM, Lesley Butters wrote: > Yesterday morning, as I was clearing debris from around my property > in Albany New, I observed a dead little brown bat on the ground. A > few seconds later orange/black beetles emerged from all angles of > the dead animal.It was really creepy to watch the beetles devouring > the bat, though fascinating at the same time. An hour latter there > was no sign of beetles or bat. I have never seen this type of beetle > before. Where do they hang out between feasts? > > Also, on my property, I observed a very beautiful patch of Magenta > Coral Fungi and many other incredible, beautiful mushrooms. The > forest is alive, one positive behind our dark,damp and dreary summer. > > Lesley Butters > Halifax > Christopher Majka - Atlantic Canada Coleoptera http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Environment/NHR/atlantic_coleoptera.html c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca --Apple-Mail-38--528768644 Content-Type: text/html; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Hi = Lesley,<div><br></div><div>These are so-called burying beetles or sexton = beetles in the genus <i>Nicrophorus</i>. There are seven species in Nova = Scotia. Several of these beetles (sometimes of 2-3 different species) = will cooperatively "bury" small dead animals (hence the name) like mice, = bats, frogs, songbirds, etc. Then they lay eggs on the carrion on which = the larvae will feed. They reason for this behaviour is that their chief = competition for this food source are flies, and the more quickly they = can get the dead animal underground, the fewer the eggs that flies are = able to lay on them. The sexton beetles are also accompanied by phoretic = mites that are specialized predators of fly eggs. Below are some links = to further information about these fascinating = beetles.</div><div><br></div><div><a = href=3D"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burying_beetle">http://en.wikipedia.o= rg/wiki/Burying_beetle</a></div><div><a = href=3D"http://www.kendall-bioresearch.co.uk/silphid.htm">http://www.kenda= ll-bioresearch.co.uk/silphid.htm</a></div><div><a = href=3D"http://www.earthlife.net/insects/nicrophorus.html">http://www.eart= hlife.net/insects/nicrophorus.html</a></div><div><br></div><div>All the = best!</div><div><br></div><div>Chris</div><div><br></div><div><div><div>On= 3-Sep-08, at 8:59 AM, Lesley Butters wrote:</div><br = class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote = type=3D"cite"><div>Yesterday morning, as I was clearing debris from = around my property in Albany New, I observed a dead little brown bat on = the ground. A few seconds later orange/black beetles emerged from all = angles of the dead animal.It was really creepy to watch the beetles = devouring the bat, though fascinating at the same time. An hour latter = there was no sign of beetles or bat. I have never seen this type of = beetle before. Where do they hang out between feasts?<br><br>Also, on my = property, I observed a very beautiful patch of Magenta Coral Fungi and = many other incredible, beautiful mushrooms. The forest is alive, one = positive behind our dark,damp and dreary summer.<br><br>Lesley = Butters<br>Halifax<br><br></div></blockquote></div><br><div = apple-content-edited=3D"true"> <span class=3D"Apple-style-span" = style=3D"border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: = 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: = normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: = normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: = none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; = -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: = 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: = auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0; "><div style=3D"word-wrap: = break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: = after-white-space; "><div>Christopher Majka - Atlantic Canada = Coleoptera</div><div><a = href=3D"http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Environment/NHR/atlantic_coleoptera.html= ">http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Environment/NHR/atlantic_coleoptera.html</a></= div><div><a = href=3D"mailto:c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca">c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca</a></div><= div><br class=3D"webkit-block-placeholder"></div></div></span><br = class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"> </div><br></div></body></html>= --Apple-Mail-38--528768644--
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