Friday 27 July 2012

Did I smell something?

Sexton Beetle.  Nikon D7000
27th July 2012

There was a startlingly large beetle in the house today; it seemed a little lost and rather clumsy.

On closer inspection (and with the help of the web), it turned out to be a Sexton beetle (Nicrophorus vespillo).   As a carrion beetle, I was a little perturbed that it had landed on top of the freezer.  I had that horrible moment while I checked that no bag of mince or anything had been left out or fallen down the back of the freezer; it looks as though the beetle was just lost thankfully.  Apparently, the Sexton beetle has a very good sense of smell and can home in on carrion over very large distances.

I had better prod the kids to make them move a little more often when they are captivated by their various electronic devices so that they do not attract any more of these critters.

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