The American Burying Beetle, Nicrophorus Americanus: Studies on the Natural History of a Declining Species

Nicrophorus americanus (Coleoptera: Silphidae), the American burying beetle, was once widespread in its distribution in North America, but has apparently suffered a severe decline in this century and is presently known to occur only on Block Island, Rhode Island and in eastern Oklahoma. Although the natural history, ecology, and reproductive biology of North American and European burying beetles has been described (Pukowski 1933, Milne and Milne 1976, Anderson 1982a, Wilson and Fudge 1984, Wilson and Knollenberg 1984, Wilson et al. 1984, Scott and Traniello 1987, Scott 1988), there is very little information on N. americanus except documentation of its past distribution and decline (Davis 1980, Anderson 1982b). We recently were able to assess the size of the N. americanus population on Block Island, and determine the resource requirements for reproduction of this potentially endangered species. In addition, we present information on reproductive behavior, interspecific competition, and correlates of reproductive success.