Burying Beetle, Nicrophorus sayi

In the Museum

The Canadian Museum of Nature's collection contains about 2600 specimens representing of all 15 species of Nicrophorus that occur in North America as well as seven species found outside of North America.

Nature makes sure these beetles will last forever by carefully labelling each specimen and storing the specimens in well-sealed drawers and cabinets in a cool, dry room. One of the biggest risks to these collections is being eaten by not-so-dead insects!

Researching Nicrophorus Beetles

So now you know a little about burying beetles, and the part they play in making sure that nothing in nature gets wasted -- when plants and animals die, they become food for other plants and animals. Canadian Museum of Nature Research Scientist Bob Anderson knows a lot about these beetles: he conducted five years of research on the taxonomy and natural history of burying beetles in Canada while he was a graduate student. During that time he published five papers and a book on the genus Nicrophorus. But believe it or not, these beetles aren't even his specialty -- around the Museum he's better known as a weevil expert. Check out his field diary to see other cool stuff he does.