Fenner asked me to write an article for their newsletter. The newsletter came out today, but guess what? They didn't put my article in.
I'm sharing my article here instead. The American Burying Beetle is fascinating:
Maybe you’re familiar with the way wolf pups lick adult pack
members’ mouths to encourage regurgitation of food? There is a beetle species whose young stroke
the mandibles of their parents to “request” regurgitated food! This fascinating, bumblebee-sized beetle is
called the American Burying Beetle.
The American Burying Beetle’s historical range covered 35
states. However, it was listed as a
Federally Endangered Species in 1989 and only survives in pockets of land
relatively undisturbed by human activity.
It is extirpated from Michigan.
This is probably due disturbance of the land, fragmented habitat, and
because there are less small animals for them to feed on.
Males can sense small carcasses from over two miles
away. Nocturnally, the male moves to the
location of the carrion. Once there, he releases a pheromone that attracts
females. When the female arrives, the
two go to work removing feathers or fur, coat the animal with preservative
secretions, and bury it under the earth.
Once safely underground, the female lays her eggs.
Meanwhile, symbiotic orange mites climb off of the adults
and eat any fly larvae developing on the carcass. The parents stay on-call for hatching. Once hatched, the larvae are fed regurgitated
food. The young eventually pupate in the
ground nearby. The parents fly off, but
not until the orange mites climb on piggyback!
Fascinating creatures like this one are the reason
conservation efforts are crucial.
Civilization creeps in from all corners.
Conservation pushes back, preserving life both known and still waiting
to be discovered.
