Carcass-burying beetles reintroduced to area

Once-endangered nsects bury dead animals overnight for food

 UPDATED 6:44 PM EDT May 14, 2013

The American burying beetle was once in 35 states in the eastern U.S., but their numbers quickly diminished in the second half of the 20th Century as their habitat disappeared. 

The Cincinnati Zoo has been working since 1990 to save the species, which was placed on the Endangered Species list the year before, and it was reintroduced for the first time locally Monday at the Fernald Reserve. 

"We picked Fernald Reserve because they have an on-site staff that's out there constantly, surveying for other types of wildlife," said Mandy Pritchard, insectarium keeper. 

The reserve also has a high population of birds and mammals, which is essential to the beetle's reproduction. 

The burying beetle got its name because it finds and then buries the carcasses of small rodents or birds about 1 foot underground to use as food for its offspring. 

"A beetle that weighs a gram can bury a 300-gram rat overnight, like us burying an elephant in one night, with no tools," Pritchard said. 

The beetle plays a key role in the ecosystem by recycling dead material. 

Pritchard plans to release the nocturnal beetles each spring for the next five years at Fernald, but they can fly up to 2 miles each night, so they aren't likely to remain concentrated there. 

"As far as dispersal goes, it's going to be southwest Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana," Pritchard said. 

The beetles have few predators, but they typically live only six months. 

Although they aren't easily spotted, the zoo is asking nearby residents to take photos if they spot one and send the information to the zoo so their reintegration can be tracked.

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