See more of the story

Checking nest boxes recently, I found a dead bluebird, and this fellow. It's an American carrion beetle (Necrophila americana), about 3/4 of an inch in size. (It's shown on a one-inch board.) It was on the dead bird to lay eggs. Hatched, the larvae would consume the body. On a smaller scale, these creatures play the same role as vultures — keeping the place clean. It's got a cool Latin name.