Broad-necked Root Borer vs Margined Burying Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Broad-necked Root Borer Margined Burying Beetle
Scientific Name Prionus laticollis Nicrophorus marginatus
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Cerambycidae Silphidae
Size 22-48 mm 18-27 mm
Habitat Orchards Grasslands
Diet Root Feeders Carrion Feeders
Regions Eastern North America North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Broad-necked Root Borer

A large dark brown prionine beetle with a notably broad pronotum bearing three sharp lateral teeth on each side. Found in eastern North America, larvae bore into living tree roots and can damage orchards. Adults fly at dusk.

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Did You Know?

Females burrow into soil to lay eggs directly on tree roots, a behavior unusual among cerambycids.

Margined Burying Beetle

A burying beetle with thin orange marginal bands along the edges of its elytra. It is common in open grasslands and prairies of North America.

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Did You Know?

It can detect a mouse carcass from over a kilometre away by following the scent plume downwind.