Margined Carrion Beetle

Appearance

"Oiceoptoma noveboracense" larvae range from light brown to dark reddish in color. The larvae are typically flat and trilobite-like in appearance. They are capable of moving locations during their development.

The adults average from 13 to 15 millimetres long. The middle of the pronotum on this beetle is dark-brown to black in color. The outer margins are outlined in a bright orange-red.

The elytra are hardened forewings used to protect the fragile hind wings underneath. The elytra are attached to the suture that runs down the middle of the beetle's back and range from reddish-brown to black. They have a distinctive tooth at the shoulder and the vertical ridges are very apparent. This elytra apex is rounded on males, whereas it is more tapered on the female body. "O. noveboracense" have temple regions behind their eyes that have a long line of erect setae that are of a yellowish tint and the inner tomora is a ridge-free region. The metatibiae are enlarged on the males ranging from moderate to large in size.

Distribution

"Oiceoptoma noveboracense" is most commonly found in deciduous forests or in grasslands and fields. It will less frequently inhabit marshes. When the species is found in a marsh, the area is typically prone to seasonal inundation. This causes the marsh to superficially resemble a dried field habitat.

"O. noveboracense" is found from the Atlantic coast of the Northeastern United States, extending along the northern edge of the prairies west to the Rocky Mountains. It may be present as far south as Texas.

Behavior

"Oiceoptoma noveboracense" is a diurnal species, meaning that it is primarily active during the daytime. This beetle produces one generation per year. Reproduction begins in the spring and depending on temperature it takes approximately forty-five days from the instance of mating to the emergence of the adult from the pupa. The eggs are laid in the carrion so that once they become larva they will begin to feed on their substrate. As is common with most Silphidae, the adults will typically feed on carrion as well as the larva of flies that are also feeding on the carrion.

During the springtime when mating is observable, adults are commonly found paired with the males mounted on the females. This position will be maintained for periods of time even though copulation may not be occurring at that instant. Typically, males will firmly take hold of the female’s antennae with their mandibles in order to position themselves for sexual activity. Once copulation is achieved the male will release the female’s antenna and begin to slide backward onto the female’s elytra. He will then begin to use his antennae to stroke the pronotum of the female. Again the male searches for and grabs the female’s antennae and this series of events is repeated. This activity will occur frequently until the female oviposits. Males have not been seen to be sexually active when the eggs and/or instar larvae are present at the carcass. This behavior suggests that the males might use this time to insure paternity of the offspring of the particular female with which he mated.

Habitat

"Oiceoptoma noveboracense" is most commonly found in deciduous forests or in grasslands and fields. It will less frequently inhabit marshes. When the species is found in a marsh, the area is typically prone to seasonal inundation. This causes the marsh to superficially resemble a dried field habitat.

"O. noveboracense" is found from the Atlantic coast of the Northeastern United States, extending along the northern edge of the prairies west to the Rocky Mountains. It may be present as far south as Texas.

Uses

The medical importance of "Oiceoptoma noveboracense" has yet to be substantially determined. However, a study has found its hindgut, midgut, and associated hemolymph can potentially harbor known opportunistic bacterial pathogens. Of these opportunistic pathogens, the majority of the identified bacteria were either coliform or staphylococci.