Canopy-specialist
Guides
Nicrophorus pustulatus
Pustulated Carrion Beetle, Blistered Burying Beetle
Nicrophorus pustulatus is a North American burying beetle distinguished by its unique ecology among congeners. Unlike typical carrion beetles that bury small vertebrate carcasses underground, this species is a canopy specialist that has undergone a remarkable host shift to exploit snake eggs as a primary breeding resource. It is the only described Nicrophorus species demonstrated to function as a true parasitoid of vertebrates, attacking live reptile eggs. Adults are medium-sized (14.0–22.2 mm), predominantly black with distinctive orange elytral spots, and lack the long dorsal setae characteristic of related species. The species exhibits flexible social mating systems and facultative parental care.