Best time to see: mid Apr to late Oct
Key facts
The undertakers of the animal world, burying decaying animals to feed their young
Widespread throughout the UK in a wide range of habitats; several species, difficult to tell apart
Attracted to lights in gardens at night
Recognition
Heavy flattened bodies, black or black with orange bands; up to 30mm
Clubbed antennae, equipped with receptors to detect rotting bodies at a distance
Often infested by reddish-brown mites (which also infest other beetle species and bumblebee queens)
Lifecycle
Male and female beetles pair up at the corpse and fight off rivals, digging beneath it to bury it
The female lays her eggs on or beside the buried body and after hatching the young eat it
The pair continue to care for their young, feeding them from the corpse
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© Tony Gunton