Nicrophorus carolinus (Linnaeus, 1771)

Mullins, Patricia L., Riley, Edward G. & Oswald, John D., 2013, Identification, distribution, and adult phenology of the carrion beetles (Coleoptera: Silphidae) of Texas, Zootaxa 3666 (2), pp. 221-251 : 232

Nicrophorus carolinus (Linnaeus, 1771)

Figs. 9 , 25 , 38 , 51

Silpha carolina Linnaeus, 1771: 530 (see Sikes et al. (2002) for synonymy).

Diagnosis. Body length 17–25 mm; body entirely black except for anterior and posterior elytral maculae redorange; epipleuron dark reddish with portion below humerus red-orange, anteriorly glabrous; anterior and posterior elytral maculae not joined laterally; anterior elytral macula variable, ranging from single round discal spot (usually) to strongly transverse and joined to epipleuron (rare), most specimens with macula broken to form separate discal and lateral maculae, lateral portion adjacent to epipleuron, discal portion never reaching elytral suture; posterior elytral macula ranging from transversely lunate (usually) to small and round (rare), not reaching suture or epipleuron. Antennal club entirely orange. Pronotum cordate without anterior transverse impression, disc glabrous, lateral margins extremely narrow. Dorsal surface of elytron without long hairs. Epipleural ridge extended to point below or almost below humeral callus. Lateral portion of metasternum densely covered with golden hairs. Posterior lobe of metepimeron glabrous or nearly so. Tarsal empodium bisetose.

Range. North Carolina south to Florida, west to Arizona and north to Nebraska and Alberta (Anderson & Peck 1985, Peck & Kaulbars 1987).

Texas distribution. See Fig. 51 . This species is widespread in the Austroriparian, Texan, Kansan, Chihuahuan, and Tamaulipan biotic provinces of Texas with few records from the Balconian province. It occurs across a broad range of Texas vegetational areas: pineywoods, gulf prairies and marshes, post oak savannah, blackland prairies, south Texas plains, Edwards Plateau, rolling plains, high plains, and trans-Pecos. Confirmed counties (36): Anderson, Angelina, Atascosa, Bailey, Bastrop, Bexar, Borden, Brazos, Brewster, Brooks, Burleson, Crane, Franklin, Frio, Gaines, Gray, Hall, Hutchinson, Jefferson, Kenedy, Kleberg, Lamar, Lamb, Leon, Menard, Milam, Nacogdoches, Potter, Terry, Val Verde, Ward, Wichita, Wilbarger, Winkler, Wood, Yoakum. Collections : BRC, EGRC, MWSU, PLM, SFAC, TAMU, TTU, UTIC, WTAM.

Seasonality in Texas. See Fig. 38 . Adults of this species have been collected in Texas in almost every month of the year. The adult seasonality profile of this species (based on 62 occurrence records: Appendix I) is unimodal, with a peak from spring to fall.

Biological notes. As noted by Anderson and Peck (1985), Peck and Kaulbars (1987) and Lingafelter (1995), this species prefers sandy substrates, and this seems to be true in Texas, as most of the Texas specimens come from localities with deep sandy soils. The southernmost cluster of Texas localities is associated with the coastal sand plains of the Tamaulipan province, characterized by windblown sands and dunes. Peck and Kaulbars (1987) noted that this species is also found in open forests, grasslands, shrub steppe, and creosote bush desert.

Data from examined labels. Collecting methods: pit-fall trap, human feces pit-fall trap, banana bait trap, flight intercept trap, carrion trap. Habitat records: oak savannah [carrion trap], sandy meadow [pit-fall trap], native prairie [pit-fall trap], sand bank, sand hills, open area. Carrion records: snake [pit-fall trap], rabbit [pit-fall trap], snake, bird and owl. Miscellaneous: caught flying. There is very little natural history information available for this species (Anderson & Peck 1985). Peck and Kaulbars (1987) noted that the species has been collected from March to October.

Figures

FIGURES 7 – 11. Details of Texas Silphidae. 7. Oiceoptoma inaequale, ventral view, wide elytral epipleuron; 8. Oiceoptoma rugulosum, ventral view, narrow elytral epilpeuron; 9. Nicrophorus carolinus, pronotum; 10. Nicrophorus americanus, pronotum; 11. Nicrophorus americanus, tarsal empodium quadrisetose.

FIGURES 24 – 30. Habitus of Texas Nicrophorus. 24, N. americanus; 25, N. carolinus; 26, N. marginatus; 27, N. mexicanus; 28, N. pustulatus; 29, N. orbicollis; 30, N. tomentosus. All scale bars = 10 mm.

FIGURES 37 – 42. Adult seasonality profiles based on occurrence records for Texas Silphidae, Nicrophorinae (part). 37, Nicrophorus americanus; 38, N. carolinus; 39, N. marginatus; 40, N. mexicanus; 41, N. orbicollis; 42, N. pustulatus. For an explanation of occurrence record calculations, see Methods.

FIGURES 50 – 55. Distribution maps for Texas Silphidae, Nicrophorinae (part). 50, Nicrophorus americanus; 51, N. carolinus; 52, N. marginatu s; 53, N. mexicanus; 54, N. orbicollis; 55, N. pustulatus.