Well-known scavengers of animal material include vultures, burying beetles, blowflies, yellowjackets, owls, and raccoons.

But burying beetles need a reliable supply of dead animals in order to breed, and Nicrophorus americanus needs bigger carcasses than any of its kin.

Mr. Amaral said the year-to-year population of American burying beetles on Block Island was estimated at a few hundred and was considered stable.

Male burying beetles often locate carcasses first and then attract a mate.

Adult American burying beetles live for only 12 months.

Infanticide in burying beetles may have led to male parental care.

Similar behavior has been observed in various animals such as rabbits and burying beetles.

Nicrophorinae is a subfamily of burying beetles or carrion beetles.

Many competitors make this task difficult, e.g. bluebottles and ants or burying beetles of either another or the same species.

Aside from eusocial species such as ants and honey bees, parental care is quite rare among insects, and burying beetles are remarkable exceptions.