Carrion Beetle Recording Scheme

A transparent glass tube is resting among bare soil and green plants. At the left side the tube is capped with a whiteish bung. In the middle is a largely black beetle, with four orange marks across its elytra.

While @dipteristsforum.bsky.social field meeting is in theory to collect flies, it’s proved to be a great trip for @carrionbeetlesuk.bsky.social! Along with Phosphuga atrata and Oiceoptoma thoracicum managed to find our first, hopefully, Nicrophorus vespilloides #entomology #diptera #coleoptera

Lovely! It was long thought to be a symbiotic relationship, but the mites are only beneficial to the beetles if there are enough fly eggs and larvae for them to eat, otherwise they will predate on the beetle eggs!

Silpha tristis on my walk y'day morning. A new beetle for me! This is the best photo I got, as it was moving so fast. I was on the phone with my friend from Exmoor when I noticed it and had to put him on hold!
@carrionbeetlesuk.bsky.social @ashwhiffin.bsky.social @colsocbi.bsky.social

A lovely Carrion beetle, Phosphuga atrata I think, seen 04/05/25 Hopwas Quarry, #Staffs @ashwhiffin.bsky.social @colsocbi.bsky.social #beetle #Silphidae

Dear moth trappers, don’t forget to record your #MothTrapIntruders - we’ll be eternally grateful. 🖤

Failed attempt to film a Black Sexton Beetle flying out of the trap, you can hear my absolute disgust when it bumped into me 😂 (sorry @ashwhiffin.bsky.social & @carrionbeetlesuk.bsky.social, they are just so stinky)

Fig. 1.Oiceoptoma thoracicum, L3, habitus. (A) Dorsal view. (B) Ventral view. (C) Lateral view.

#LiteratureNotice Sommer et al. Revisiting the larval morphology of Oiceoptoma thoracicum ( #Coleoptera: #Staphylinidae: #Silphinae) doi.org/10.1093/jme/... #Beetle #Beetles #RoveBeetles #Taxonomy

Common Snail hunters are on the prowl once more! Sorry snails! 🐌

Curating a Starter Pack that will hopefully be useful to folk coming over to BlueSky and looking for all of the UK conservation orgs and recording societies go.bsky.app/Nget1LP Will keep adding to this. DM or reply to be added and please share.

Thanks! 🙂

It sure is! 🖤

Great photo! This one, although very similar to Nicrophorus vespilloides, is Nicrophorus investigator (Banded Burying beetle). Clubs of the antenna are entirely black in N. vespilloides.

A burying beetle, Nicrophorus investigator. They’re often attracted to the garden by light and, unlike most of them, this one stopped for a few seconds before disappearing into the lawn. Just enough time for some pics.
#beetles #ento #UKwildlife

It was not overlooked. Those working with wild populations of #CarrionBeetles knew this already. It’s knowledge imparted to us by Professor Jan Růžička. We teach it in our workshops and it is mentioned in the atlas… where’s the acknowledgment of this?

Thanks for sharing! 🖤🧡

Enjoyed a quick poke around some magnificent old oaks this morning. Was rewarded by a single smart Phosphuga atrata.

Hope to be back in search of some woody specialists soon. And moths, obvs.
#DalkeithCountryPark

Thank you! ☺️

👏💀 Congrats, Nick. You’re in the club.

Fab! We’d be so grateful if you’d be willing to record your moth trap visitors via iRecord. Thanks if you already do! 🙂

irecord.org.uk/enter-casual...

Nice! This is the Red-breasted carrion beetle (Oiceoptoma thoracicum. Would be brilliant if you could upload your sighting to iRecord for us 🙂

irecord.org.uk/enter-casual...

Thanks, we approve!

AKA the Banded burying beetle 🧡🖤

We love this!! 👏

Yes they’re pretty strong aren’t they! You have to be, to bury a body…

That’s a lovely male N. humator.

AKA The Undertaker! Please do share this visitor to your trap via iRecord for us 🙂

Hi Bex, could you add us to this please? 😊

A montage of images, including carrion beetles, attendees at an ID workshop and a close up of the ID keys.

Hey BlueSky 👋 Please excuse the lateness, but we have arrived!

We’re here to promote the recording of #CarrionBeetles in the UK and help with any of your ID queries. Please join the #CarrionClub and help us spread the word! 💀 🪲