Clown beetles are kind of funny.

A species of clown beetle - Gnathoncus rotundatus

The beetle I wrote about in my last post was a carrion scavenger.  The clown beetle, also associated with carrion (I found it in the same dead bird as the one mentioned), feeds on the invertebrates that feed on the carrion.  Both the larvae and the adults are predators.  

When an animal dies, its carcass becomes a site that attracts many species of insects.  These include flies and beetles, which are broadly grouped together as necrophages (another term for scavengers).  These organisms are important in facilitating the breakdown of dead animal tissues.  They often lay their eggs in the same place.  The larvae hatch, feed on the decomposing organic matter, and pupate into adulthood.

Clown beetles feed on the larvae and adults of these necrophage insects.  Clown beetle larvae, known as grubs, attack and consume these scavangers.  They are confined to the rotting corpse as it is both a source of food and shelter (moist environment).  The adults are more free ranging, but will certainly consume adult and larval necrophage invertebrates and will lay their eggs there.

Important note:  trying to discover a species' name is somewhat time-consuming.  My books often help in maybe 20% of the cases.  Google "search by image" (also called Google Lens) is better, but often produces incorrect results.  I have to add extra information and corroborate its findings before committing to an identification.  I found UBC's website on insect identification helpful.  I will be referring to it more frequently in the future.

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com