Nicrophorus vestigator
Nicrophorus vestigator. Museum specimen
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Coleoptera
Family:	Silphidae
Subfamily:	Nicrophorinae
Tribe:	Nicrophorini
Genus:	Nicrophorus
Species:	N. vestigator
Binomial name
Nicrophorus vestigator Herschel, 1807
Synonyms
Necrophorus [sic] Vestigator Herschel, 1807 Necrophorus [sic] sepultor Gyllenhal, 1827 (Preocc.) Necrophorus [sic] anglicus Samouelle, 1833 (Unav.) Necrophorus [sic] interruptus Brullé, 1832 (Preocc.) Necrophorus [sic] sepultor cadaverinus Mareuse, 1840 (Preocc.) Necrophorus [sic] olfactor Gistel, 1848 Necrophorus [sic] vestigator v. Rauterbergi Reitter, 1900 Necrophorus [sic] vestigator v. degener Carret, 1901 Necrophorus [sic] vestigator v. brullei Jacobson, 1910 Necrophorus [sic] vestigator v. bipunctatus Portevin, 1914 (Preocc.) Necrophorus [sic] vestigator v. obscuripennis Portevin, 1914 Necrophorus [sic] vestigator v. Viturati Pic, 1917 Necrophorus [sic] vestigator v. Carreti Pic, 1933

Nicrophorus vestigator is a species of beetle belonging to the family Silphidae.

Description

Nicrophorus vestigator can reach a length of about 14–22 millimetres (0.55–0.87 in). The basic color of the body is black, with two wide transversal orange stripes on the elytra. These beetles have large club-like antennae equipped with black and yellow tips. The legs are strong. The last three abdominal segments protrude beyond the elytra.^[1]

Like other burying beetles they bury the carcasses of small vertebrates such as birds and mice as a food source for their larvae. Larval development takes place during the summer, and the fully formed individuals can be found mainly in May–June and in August.^[1]

Distribution

This species is present in most of Europe, in the eastern Palearctic realm and in the Near East.^[2]