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Identification of Ohio Burying Beetles
In addition to the endangered American burying beetle, six species of Nicrophorus (burying beetles) occur in Ohio. All are superficially similar in appearance and habits; they are rather large with various-sized orange-to-red spots on the wing covers ("elytra") and they bury small animal carcasses on which the developing larvae feed. All are nocturnal (except N. tomentosus) and often they are attracted to lights. The following information will help to distinguish among the burying beetles of Ohio.
Beetles are shown in order of most likely to be encountered.
N. orbicollis. Most abundant statewide. Side edges of elytra are black, and elytra usually are covered with fine black hairs (visible with hand lens).
N. tomentosus. The prothorox (round structure between the head and elytra) often is covered with fine, yellowish hairs which are also on the under surface. The hindmost orange areas are usually narrow. Active during the day; when flying, it looks and sounds like a bumblebee.
N. pustulatus. Four very small orange spots at the end of the elytra, otherwise all black. Often found at lights at night.
N. sayi. Looks a lot like orbicollis but the tibia (middle section of hind leg) is curved in this species, and straight in orbicollis. Sides of elytra have some orange. Strongly associated with forests, and most common in eastern Ohio.
N. marginatus. Also looks a lot like orbicollis and sayi, but orange areas are extensive, and usually the side margins of the elytra are completely orange. Strongly associated with grasslands, meadows, prairie remnants, and most common in northwestern Ohio.
N. defodiens. Our smallest burying beetle, with large orange areas more equal-sized and more square than in other species. Also, very limited in distribution: in Ohio, known only from Ashtabula, Lake, and Trumbull Counties in the extreme northeast. (More common and widespread in Canada, New England, New York, Michigan, Wisconsin, etc.).
N. americanus. Usually twice as large as any of the others. (Occasionally a large orbicollis approaches a small americanus in size.) The prothorax (round structure between the head and elytra) is mostly orange. (It's black in all other species.) The face is orange, too. The hind tibia are curved, as in sayi. Last found in Ohio in Marietta in 1921, along Lake Erie in the 1930's, and at Old Man's Cave, Hocking County, in 1974. Released in southeast Ohio in 1998 and 1999, and most likely to be encountered there.
Report any encounter to ODNR Division of Wildlife or to David Horn or George Keeney, O.S.U. Dept. of Entomology, 1735 Neil Ave., Columbus, OH 43210, 614-292-8209.
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