Carrion-fauna
Guides
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.