Habitat

Necrophila americana lives in a very large range of locations. It can be found as far south as Florida and Texas and as far north as Southern Canada. Also it has been known to be living as far west as the Rocky Mountains and as far east as the East Coast (Evans and Bellamy, 1996).

Studies have been conducted to try to identify the natural habitat for the American carrion beetle however results often conflict with one another. A study in Kansas has concluded that American carrion beetles prefer forested or wooded areas instead of open prairie environments. However, they also populate the borders of prairies and a forested area (Lingafelter, 1995). A conflicting study done in New Jersey has concluded that the American carrion beetle actually prefers open fields compared to forests (Schubeck,1983). From the two conclusions given, one can only conclude that the American carrion beetle tends to prefer different landscapes in different locations. The differing results may be attributed to the location of dead animals which is the main food source of the American carrion beetle. The American carrion beetle must remain in close proximity to its food source which is often small, already dead rodents but can be almost any dead organism that is big enough to supply the beetle’s larva with a sufficient food source.

Often found almost in all places that the American carrion beetle lives are mites that live in a commensal relationship with the beetle (For further information see Interactions) (Gibbs and Stanton, 2001).

 Also Necrophila americana seems to share its habitat with another beetle called Oiceoptoma noveboracense which also seems to differ based on the location of the beetle but seems to prefer the same landscape as the American carrion beetle (Lingafelter, 1995).

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