Carrion-feeder
Guides
Charaxinae
leafwings, leafwing butterflies
Charaxinae is a subfamily of approximately 400 species of nymphalid butterflies commonly known as leafwings. They are primarily tropical in distribution, with some species extending into temperate regions of North America, Europe, China, and southern Australia. Adults are robust, fast-flying butterflies that frequently feed on non-floral liquid sources including carrion, dung, and rotting fruit. The subfamily exhibits substantial morphological diversity across its constituent tribes.
Dermestes ater
black larder beetle, incinerator beetle
Dermestes ater is a cosmopolitan dermestid beetle native to North America but now found nearly worldwide. Adults measure 7–9 mm with black or brown elytra covered in yellowish hairs; males are distinguished by a row of bristles along the abdomen. The species is a significant pest of stored products, feeding on dried animal and plant materials including cured meats, cheeses, leather, wool, and fish. It also functions as an occasional predator and scavenger, consuming dead insects, carrion, and even silkworm pupae. The beetle has forensic importance due to its presence on human corpses, and veterinary significance as a vector of parasites in poultry facilities.
Hamadryas guatemalena
Guatemalan cracker, Guatemalan calico
Hamadryas guatemalena, commonly known as the Guatemalan cracker or Guatemalan calico, is a medium-to-large butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It ranges from southern North America through Central America to central South America. Adults exhibit year-round flight in tropical regions and peak activity in August in temperate areas. The species is notable for its cracker-like wing patterns and carrion-feeding behavior.
Hoplinus echinatus
Hoplinus echinatus is a stilt bug species in the family Berytidae, characterized by its elongated, slender body and long legs typical of the group. It has been documented as a predator associated with sticky plants in western North America, where it navigates resinous or hooked trichomes to feed on trapped insect carrion. The species occurs across a broad range of arid and semi-arid habitats from southwestern Canada through the western United States to northern Mexico. Its ecology links it to plant-based food webs where dead insects serve as a resource for predatory arthropods.
Monopis monachella
White-blotched Clothes Moth
Monopis monachella is a small tineid moth with a nearly cosmopolitan distribution spanning Eurasia, Africa, Asia, the Americas, and Oceania. The species is commonly known as the White-blotched Clothes Moth and has been observed feeding on animal remains during its larval stage. Adults are active from spring through late summer in temperate regions.
Myrmecocystus mexicanus
Mexican Honeypot Ant, Mexican Honey Ant
Myrmecocystus mexicanus is a North American honeypot ant notable for its specialized replete workers that store liquid food in their distended abdomens. The species exhibits obligate myrmecophagy through its close association with harvester ant colonies, which provide carrion as a primary food source. Colonies are long-lived, averaging 8.9 years with maximum lifespans of 23 years. Nuptial flights occur in late July following rainfall, with queens founding new colonies in open, sun-exposed locations.
Panorpa
scorpionflies, common scorpionflies
Panorpa is the largest and most widespread genus of scorpionflies (family Panorpidae), comprising approximately 260 described species as of 2018. These insects are characterized by the male's enlarged, scorpion-like genital claspers that curl upward at the abdomen tip. The genus is primarily distributed in the Northern Hemisphere, with notable absence from western North America. Both larvae and adults are scavengers that feed on dead or dying arthropods, playing important roles in nutrient cycling and forensic entomology. Several species, particularly P. vulgaris and P. nuptialis, have become model organisms for studying sexual selection and nuptial gift behavior.