Carrion-beetles
Guides
Agyrtidae
Primitive Carrion Beetles
Agyrtidae is a small family of beetles in the superfamily Staphylinoidea, containing approximately 60 species across three subfamilies: Agyrtinae, Necrophilinae, and Pterolomatinae. Members range from 4–14 mm in length and exhibit diverse ecological habits, with some subfamilies associated with carrion and decaying organic matter while others show predatory or coastal specialized lifestyles. The family has a disjunct distribution in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere and New Zealand, with fossil records extending to the Early Cretaceous.
Anemadini
Anemadini is a tribe of small carrion beetles within the subfamily Cholevinae (family Leiodidae). The tribe comprises at least 30 genera and more than 70 described species. Members exhibit diverse ecological adaptations, including forest-dwelling carrion feeders, cave inhabitants, and myrmecophiles living in ant nests. Some lineages show morphological modifications associated with subterranean life, such as reduced or absent eyes.
Bacanius
clown beetles
Bacanius is a genus of clown beetles in the family Histeridae, established by John Lawrence LeConte in 1853. The genus contains more than 70 described species distributed across multiple continents. Members of this genus share the compact, rounded body form characteristic of histerid beetles.
Catopocerus politus
Catopocerus politus is a species of small carrion beetle in the family Leiodidae, first described by Motschulsky in 1870. It belongs to the subfamily Catopocerinae, a group of beetles primarily associated with decomposing organic matter. The species has been recorded from several eastern U.S. states including Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, West Virginia, and Washington D.C.
Catops
Catops is a genus of small carrion beetles in the family Leiodidae, subfamily Cholevinae, established by Paykull in 1798. The genus comprises approximately 16 described species distributed across the Holarctic region. Several species are associated with cave habitats, including the Iranian endemic Catops farsicus.
Cholevinae
small carrion beetles, round fungus beetles
Cholevinae is a subfamily of small carrion beetles within the family Leiodidae (Coleoptera), containing more than 260 genera and over 1,100 described species. The subfamily includes diverse ecological groups: necrophagous species that feed on carrion and dung, mycophagous species associated with fungi, and numerous troglobitic and troglophilic lineages adapted to subterranean habitats. The tribe Leptodirini within Cholevinae represents one of the most diverse radiations of subterranean animals globally, with approximately 1,340 species and subspecies distributed from the Iberian Peninsula to Iran.
Cholevini
small carrion beetles
Cholevini is a tribe of small carrion beetles in the family Leiodidae, comprising over 20 genera and 200 described species. In North America, the tribe is represented by four genera: Catops (17 species), Sciodrepoides (3 species), and monotypic Prionochaeta and Catoptrichus. Species are primarily associated with decomposing organic matter, with most inhabiting forest environments. Some species occupy specialized habitats including tundra, caves, and rodent burrows. The tribe has a Holarctic distribution with some species restricted to North America extending south to Mexico.
Eremosaprinini
Eremosaprinini is a tribe of small carrion beetles in the family Histeridae, subfamily Saprininae. Members are primarily distributed in arid and semi-arid regions, reflecting adaptations to xeric environments. The tribe comprises several genera of tiny, compact beetles associated with decomposing organic matter.
Hypocaccus propensus group
The Hypocaccus propensus group comprises a cluster of closely related species within the clown beetle family Histeridae. These small beetles are associated with decaying organic matter and are primarily distinguished by subtle differences in male genitalia and punctation patterns on the elytra. The group is taxonomically significant as it represents a challenging complex for identification, requiring dissection for definitive species determination.
Ipelates
Ipelates is a genus of primitive carrion beetles in the family Agyrtidae. The genus contains at least four described species. These beetles are classified within the superfamily Staphylinoidea and are considered among the more basal lineages of carrion-associated beetles. Species in this genus have been documented from fossil and extant contexts.
Isoplastus fossor
Isoplastus fossor is a species of small carrion beetle in the family Leiodidae, first described by George Henry Horn in 1880. The species is known from eastern North America, with records extending from southern Canada through the eastern and central United States. The specific epithet 'fossor' (Latin for 'digger') suggests fossorial habits, though detailed behavioral observations remain limited. Like other members of Leiodidae, this species is likely associated with decomposing organic matter.
Nicrophorus
burying beetles, sexton beetles
Nicrophorus is a genus of carrion beetles commonly known as burying beetles or sexton beetles. These beetles are notable for their distinctive behavior of burying small vertebrate carcasses to serve as food for their developing larvae. Both male and female parents provide care for the brood, an unusual trait among insects. The genus contains approximately 70 species distributed across the Americas, northern Africa, Europe, and Asia. Several species are subject to conservation concern, including Nicrophorus americanus, which is listed under the Endangered Species Act.
Nitidula
Nitidula is a genus of sap-feeding beetles in the family Nitidulidae, first described by Fabricius in 1775. The genus contains approximately 20-23 described species, though estimates vary among sources. Several species are associated with carrion and decaying organic matter, with some species such as N. carnaria and N. flavomaculata being utilized in forensic investigations due to their predictable colonization of mammalian corpses during later stages of decay. Other species breed in carrion or are found in association with fermenting plant materials.
Nitidulidae
sap beetles, sap-feeding beetles, picnic beetles
Nitidulidae is a family of small beetles commonly known as sap beetles or picnic beetles, with approximately 4,500 described species worldwide and 173 species in North America. Members exhibit highly variable feeding habits, ranging from sap-feeding to scavenging on carrion, fermenting fruits, fungi, and stored products. Several species are economically significant as agricultural pests, particularly in tree nut crops and honey bee colonies. The family has gained recent attention as vectors of the oak wilt pathogen (Bretziella fagacearum), with beetles transmitting fungal spores from infected to healthy oak trees. Some species have been successfully deployed in bioconversion systems to recycle agricultural waste.
Omalodini
clown beetles
Omalodini is a tribe of clown beetles (family Histeridae) comprising at least two genera and more than 60 described species. The tribe was redefined in 2015 to include only the genera Ebonius and Omalodes. Members are distributed across Latin America with some species extending into the southern United States. Available ecological data are limited to a few species in the genus Scapomegas, which are associated with carrion and decomposing organic matter in forest biomes.
Platycholeus
Platycholeus is a genus of small carrion beetles in the family Leiodidae, established by Horn in 1880. The genus contains at least two described species: Platycholeus leptinoides (Crotch, 1874) and Platycholeus opacellus (Fall, 1909). Members of this genus are classified within the tribe Leptodirini, subtribe Platycholeina, a group associated with subterranean and carrion-associated habitats.
Saprinini
Saprinini is a tribe of clown beetles (Histeridae) characterized by small to medium body size, often with metallic coloration and reduced elytral striae. Members are primarily associated with decaying organic matter and carrion, where they prey on fly larvae and other insects. The tribe is cosmopolitan in distribution and contains numerous genera, including the widespread *Saprinus* and *Euspilotus*.
Saprinus
clown beetles
Saprinus is a genus of clown beetles in the family Histeridae, containing more than 200 described species. Members are found on every continent except Antarctica. The genus includes species associated with carrion, dung, and other decaying organic matter, where they function as predators of other small insects. Some species have specialized associations with ants or termites.
Saprinus orbicularis
Saprinus orbicularis is a species of clown beetle in the family Histeridae, subfamily Saprininae. Members of this genus are typically small, spherical, highly polished beetles associated with carrion, dung, and other decomposing organic matter. The species is predatory on other small insects found in these habitats. Like other histerids, it exhibits defensive behaviors including playing dead when disturbed.
Silphidae
carrion beetles, burying beetles, large carrion beetles, sexton beetles
Silphidae is a family of beetles commonly known as carrion beetles or burying beetles, comprising approximately 183 species in two tribes: Silphini and Nicrophorini. Members feed primarily on decaying organic matter, particularly animal carcasses, with some species exhibiting specialized behaviors such as burying small carcasses and providing parental care. The family has forensic importance due to predictable colonization patterns on human remains. Silphidae are most diverse in temperate regions, with flight capability varying among species and correlated with food source type.
Silphini
carrion beetles
Silphini is a tribe of large carrion beetles within the rove beetle family Staphylinidae, subfamily Silphinae. Members are worldwide distributed and characterized by their association with decomposing animal matter. The tribe comprises approximately 114 described species across 12 extant genera, including well-known genera such as Silpha, Thanatophilus, and Necrophila. Recent phylogenetic studies have revealed complex relationships within the tribe, with evidence that some historically recognized genera may render Silpha paraphyletic.
Staphylinoidea
Rove, Ant-like stone, and Carrion Beetles
Staphylinoidea is a large and diverse superfamily of beetles with worldwide distribution, encompassing approximately 58,000 described species across six families. Adults range from minute (Ptiliidae at 0.3 mm, the smallest non-parasitic insects) to moderately large (Staphylinidae up to 50 mm, Silphidae up to 45 mm). The superfamily is characterized by distinctive wing and abdominal morphology: hind wings lack accessory posterior ridges, medial loops, wedge cells, and apical hinges; the 8th abdominal segment is not fully invaginated within the 7th; and the head typically lacks a coronal suture. Larvae possess 3-segmented maxillary palps with distinct galea and lacinia, well-developed tergites and sternites, and annular or annular-biforous spiracles without epistomal lobes.
Thanatophilus
carrion beetles, silky carrion beetles
Thanatophilus is a genus of approximately 12 described species of carrion beetles in the family Silphidae. These beetles are primarily necrophagous, feeding on decaying animal matter. They occupy the Holarctic and Afrotropical realms and are frequently detected on large carrion, including human remains. Several species are forensically important for estimating time of colonization and post-mortem intervals.
Trogidae
hide beetles, keratin beetles, skin beetles
Trogidae is a family of scarabaeoid beetles commonly known as hide beetles or keratin beetles. The family contains approximately 300 species in four or five genera, distributed worldwide. Members are characterized by a distinctive rough, warty, or bumpy exoskeleton and are specialized scavengers of dried animal remains, feeding on skin, feathers, fur, and connective tissue. They are among the last insects to colonize carcasses, appearing only after decomposition has advanced to the dry remains stage. The family's taxonomic placement remains debated, with some authorities treating it as a subfamily (Troginae) within Scarabaeidae.