48 



ZOOLOGY 



animal is irritated, is raised as though to sting (Fig. 45). 



These beetles feed upon decaying animal and plant matter; 



consequently they are useful scavengers. Some species in- 

 habit the nests of ants and of termites, 

 but their relations with their hosts are 

 unknown. The larvae are not unlike the 

 adults, and inhabit similar situations. 



The carrion or sexton beetles (Silphi- 

 dre l ) are usually of medium or large 

 size, and are either stout-bodied, with 

 red spots on each elytron (Necro- 



phorus 2 ), or very much flattened and 

 FIG. 46. Silpha amer- .,,,-,/ -, -, ^ ^.,, ,,. ... 



icana, a carrion bee- with thin-edged elytra (Silpha, -b ig. 46). 



tie. From "Standard r pj ie S p ec i es o f NecropllOrilS are power- 

 Natural History." * 



ful animals. When one or more pairs 

 of these beetles discover a dead bird or small mammal 

 on the ground, they dig out the earth from underneath 

 and pile it upon the animal until eventually the car- 

 cass is entirely buried. Then 

 the female deposits her eggs 

 upon the body, so that a rich 

 supply of food is provided for 

 the young larvre which hatch 

 from the e^o-g. The members 



r IG. 4(. Antnrenus, the niuse- 

 of the geilUS Silpha do not bury um pest, a dermestid. Left, 



a carcass, but live and rear their la !'^ : " lkldl f 1 ^' ri - ht ' 



adult. From Packard. 



young beneath it. 



While the families of beetles hitherto considered are 

 in general useful to man by acting as scavengers or by 

 destroying insects injurious to vegetation, we have now 



1 <ri'X0i7, an ill-smelling insect. 



2 i>eKp6s, a dead body ; <f/ocj, to bear. 



