The Silphidae adults feed in a saprophagous manner: they colonize the carrion during all four stages of decomposition, which are fresh, bloated, decay, and dry.
The main areas of decomposition for adults are during both the bloated and decaying stages.
The Silphidae larvae mainly inhabit during the decaying and dry stages of the carrion.
The primary food source for the subfamily Silphinae is the maggot mass present on the detritus.
The Nicrophorinae will colonize the body earlier in decomposition in order to avoid competition with maggots.
If there is a sufficiently large maggot mass they will not colonize the carcass.
The parental care exhibited by this subfamily is that the adult beetles regurgitate food into the mouths of the young larvae until they are mature.
Silphinae colonize later in the decaying process and the adults eat the maggot mass, sometimes leaving little maggot evidence left to estimate a post-mortem interval.
In the case of the sexton or burying beetles, Nicrophorinae, the adults will bury small animal carcasses and lay their eggs on it.
In some species, a slight depression is made on the detritus for maturing larvae that the adult beetles feed and protect.
In both subfamilies the larvae are observed to eat the decaying organic material while the adults mainly consume the maggots.
Flies are the major competitor of Silphiade for detritus.
If a carcass is infested with maggots, many of the Nicrophorinae will abandon the carcass while members of Silphinae will feed on the maggots.
The Silphidae adults feed in a saprophagous manner: they colonize the carrion during all four stages of decomposition, which are fresh, bloated, decay, and dry. The main areas of decomposition for adults are during both the bloated and decaying stages. The Silphidae larvae mainly inhabit during the decaying and dry stages of the carrion. The primary food source for the subfamily Silphinae is the maggot mass present on the detritus. The Nicrophorinae will colonize the body earlier in decomposition in order to avoid competition with maggots. If there is a sufficiently large maggot mass they will not colonize the carcass. The parental care exhibited by this subfamily is that the adult beetles regurgitate food into the mouths of the young larvae until they are mature. Silphinae colonize later in the decaying process and the adults eat the maggot mass, sometimes leaving little maggot evidence left to estimate a post-mortem interval. In the case of the sexton or burying beetles, Nicrophorinae, the adults will bury small animal carcasses and lay their eggs on it. In some species, a slight depression is made on the detritus for maturing larvae that the adult beetles feed and protect. In both subfamilies the larvae are observed to eat the decaying organic material while the adults mainly consume the maggots. Flies are the major competitor of Silphiade for detritus. If a carcass is infested with maggots, many of the Nicrophorinae will abandon the carcass while members of Silphinae will feed on the maggots.
Silphidae