This Mite-y Beetle Buries the Dead to Start a Family | Deep Look
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- Опубликовано: 6 фев 2025
- Insects called burying beetles haul mouse carcasses down into the dirt and prep them to feed their future offspring. Also known as carrion beetles, they have some stiff competition … and some help from tiny traveling mites.
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Burying beetles are able to bury a small rodent or bird. They don’t kill these animals - they just benefit from them once their time has run out.
Once the carcass is underground, the beetle - working alone or with its romantic partner - rolls it into a ball. This reduces the amount of flesh exposed to bacteria - and decay. To further preserve the flesh, the beetles drag their butts over the rolled carcass and cover it with microbes that slow the rotting.
A few days later, the eggs that the female beetle laid next to the carcass hatch into larvae. At first, mom feeds them bits of prechewed mouse. Later, they climb into the carcass to feed on it themselves.
Small hitchhiking mites, known as phoretic mites, piggyback on the beetles to the carcass. They feed on minuscule bits of the mouse and reproduce abundantly. But these mites actually help the beetles by doing away with the competition. The mites devour fly eggs that were deposited on the carcass when it was aboveground. Those eggs could have grown into maggots that would have competed with the beetle larvae for the carcass.
--- Are burying beetles helpful?
Some species can damage crops. But overall, burying beetles are useful. As nature’s undertakers, they break down dead animals, returning nutrients to the soil.
--- Are burying beetles endangered?
The yellow-bellied burying beetles (Nicrophorus guttula) we filmed at the Bodega Marine Reserve, on California’s Pacific coast, are abundant. So are most of the species of burying beetles around the world.
One species, the American burying beetle (Nicrophorus americanus) is threatened, however. This is possibly because it liked to bury passenger pigeon carcasses. Humans overhunted passenger pigeons, leading them to their extinction in 1914.
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#deeplook #buryingbeetle #phoreticmites
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that was just fascinating! is it the mail or the female that buries the pantry mouse? Yes on delicate balance between life and death...
Hi @eileen7303, That's a great question! Stephen Trumbo, who studies burying beetles at the University of Connecticut, told us that "if a single female arrives first at a carcass, she can begin the burial process by herself, as she likely already has the sperm to fertilize her eggs. If a single male gets to the carcass first, he will use pheromone to attract a female. And if multiple males or multiple females arrive, the members of the same sex will fight until there is a clear winner who claims the carcass."
It's the men job to provide a shelter
@@Aa.11aaathey're beetles, nature doesn't work by human standards.
@@KQEDDeepLook What about what larvae the female chooses to eat when it gets crowded? I know for some animals, i.e. birds, it's usually the weaklings that get abandoned/eaten. Does the beetle sense the weak ones or are the larvae chosen at random?
@@jimb.7523 My guess, she takes the smallest as they are probably considered the less likely to survive
"Death is a magnet for life" is such a beautiful expression.
We are all just organic matter, no different nor better than anything else.
Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise. 🪱
I can only imagine what the cameraman was experiencing filming that. Kudos.
Forget the cameran what about the beetle!!??
if I was the cameraman I would be like "fascinating..." and I bet they feel the same way. you don't film insects if you're squeamish
@@CallMeMimi27 my comment was more about the conditions the cameraman had to endure. The stench of the corpse, the flies buzzing around, avoiding the ants crawling up one's pants (i can assure you, if u step on an ant trail in the wild, u get swamped fast), and who knows what else the crew had to do and sit through to get the shot. I studied film-making myself, so I have an appreciation for all the hard work for what ends up shortening to just several minutes of screen time.
@@ryaneylee did I stutter?
@@CallMeMimi27 i was getting the impression that you linked insects with squeamish, but i wasn't talking about the insects themselves or squeamishness, but rather the physical ordeal of the filming. my apologies if i misunderstood you.
Thank you for showing some love for the unappreciated scavengers and decomposers of our world!
They certainly work hard.
@@KQEDDeepLook And, what happened with the promised mention of whoever guessed the relationship between the beetle abd the mite? Nobody got it? Shouldn't you tell anyway?
at first i was like, wow, cool beetles that do parenting!
then i was like, oh... that is one way to manage your family size...
Right?!
Nature is absolutely messed up
It's actually a fairly common in the animal kingdom for animals to eat their own babies! MinuteEarth has a video on it /watch?v=8xVgAULDwNE
"you have 7 chairs and 10 kids. What do you do?"
"But sir! I had too many babies! I needed to eliminate the less fortunated ones so I could take care of the others!"
I remember there's a short documentary on how these beetles are used in museums and universities to produce bone specimens. They are great at cleaning meat off the bone without causing damage to the bone like boiling in caustic soda. But their room have to be sealed so they won't escape to other rooms where dried specimens are stored.
Hi @minhducnguyen9276 Those are dermestid beetles! We made a video about them: ruclips.net/video/Np0hJGKrIWg/видео.htmlsi=iGSGwr2b3LP6_gkD Enjoy!
Yeah, i think they are called Dermestid Beetles or something like that. Such a useful and careful cleaners of dead flesh.
@@KQEDDeepLook That's exactly the video I have watched. That's one hell of a coincidence. I didn't realize I have been watching your channel that long.
Thank you Deep Look for always providing AMAZING cinematography and delightful content in storytelling
Thank you!! We truly appreciate your support!
That was amazing, never before had I seen a single parent beetle feed purposely their larvae with chewed food! the whole Rodent pantry is nice but the fact that the parent stays and helps was a huge discovery, thanks for the Deep Look ! :D
I was so disgusted with the whole video, but couldn’t look away. Thanks for the quality video, I think that's enough nature for this week
I can understand your disgust, but it is the method God uses to recycle. Imagine of animal bodies were left to decompose everywhere
@@SJHFoto Dude, God has nothing to do with this, nature does not require theism in order to work.
@@SJHFoto I doubt you have anything to show your statement to be true.
@@YVH636 more than your magic fairy tales, show us where god was involved here. we can peak millions of miles into space yet no god was ever found
@@ashurafreedan I think you replied to the wrong person.
I remember first seeing a devils coachman beetle and trapping it under a glass so i could have a closer look with a magnifying glass.
They must be closely related to this beetle because it looks exactly the same to me.... oh boy once i looked at the red nodules under magnification and realised it was a horde of tiny mites... i couldnt get it away from me fast enough 😂
Many species of the prolific order Coleoptera (beetles) are near impossible to differentiate until their reproductive organs are identified under a microscope.
The fact I had no problem with a parent eating their kids to preserve food is probably why I'm single... all kidding aside the filming was once again top notch! Absolutely beautiful footage!
Nah, you're just Liberal. Humans kill their kids all the time, it's called abortions.
I love these videos, as humans would probably never see this in the wild. It makes me think of how much life, death, mating, war is going on around us that we never see.
I actually saw this happening to a mouse that my cat left me. It was pretty cool and I recorded it too!
As an entomologist, an almost infinite amount. It's a tragedy how nature is obscured now
If we could hear animals talk it would be a continuous chorus of death whails.
@@bustatronAnd mating calls, ofc
These beetles gross me out but they are so interesting! There are around 200 species (Family Silphidae). Some species do the dirt encasing, like the ones here, others make little nests on top of the liquified corpse. There is a species that "sings" to it's young when it's time to regurgitate rotten mouse for them to feed as well.
One of the most critically endangered species of insect is the American burying beetle. They were formally extremely abundant but died off around the time the passenger pigeon became extinct. Theories think that it was dependent on the millions of pigeons that fell out of their nests during the pigeons breeding season. It was the first insect ever to get federal protection in 1989.
Unfortunately it was taken off the endangered species list in 2016 by a certain president but fortunately reinstated in 2020 by another newer president. There are currently a few projects that are trying to reintroduce them to areas where they are extinct, with limited success.
Thank you for sharing these details. They're definitely an interesting group!
Actually Silphidae is a subfamily inside in Staphylinidae
its a very, ugly disturbing interesting video... thanks deeplook! I love your short documentaries!
Thank you!
Each and every episode reminds me how amazing it is that the mother earth handles every living organism in an unique way 😍
...and how humans completely disregard that intricate balance.
@@chezmoi42 well, it's good that humans are paying for what they have done !!
I love this channel, you don’t humanize the animals so much that they take on a good/bad dichotomy. Nature is neither good nor bad it is nature and you keep it that way!
I swat my arm so hard b/c I thought there was a bug on me while I was watching this. I'm pretty sure I imagined it 😂 don't watch this just before bed
It could potentially make for some interesting dreams, though.
That was so interesting to watch! Not sure how I feel after seeing all those mites though 😂 but it's a very beautiful relationship. Thanks for sharing this knowledge with us all 🫶🏾🌻
So glad you enjoyed the video! That's a lot of mites, for sure.
YAY!! FINALLY another Deep Look video 😍🥰
The most disturbing thing I've witnessed in 7 days... but also, very Educational. I dont know whether to say 'Thank You' or Clean my entire house & Pest-proof my Yard more before taking a shower
What the police said to a beetle caught trying to bury a dead body?
Carry on!
🥁
Reminds me of what the beetle told the airline ticket agent when asked whether he had any luggage: "Only my carrion."
XD
Absolutely fascinating! Thanks for the video. Critters like this is why I stopped using insecticides decades ago.
We're so glad you enjoyed it!
This is what the world needs 💯
I am, simultaneously:
- Horrified
- Exilarated
- Intrigued
- Moved(-ish)
- And, of course, amazed
I, again, can't enforce enough how much underrated this channel is. And, in my feed, I see videos thriving in approval that don't even tickle one single neuron... seriously, is humanity doomed???
Thank you! So glad you enjoy our videos! Here's another one about mites -- these are ones that live on honeybees and aren't helpful to them: ruclips.net/video/69Do8tw_xy0/видео.htmlsi=0aHXH-pgiHEKPhUm Enjoy!
@@KQEDDeepLook woah! A reply from the DL itself! Thx a lot, you're doing a great job.
Wow that is crazy!
I love the narration. And the close-up is so cool!
Thanks so much for this video :)
Shout out to Laura Klivans. Your narrations are unique and sarcastic. I always love them.
Amazing video. For all the humans grossed out by bugs/insects who devour carcasses, imagine being waist deep in dead animals without them.
Never thought insects could be this interesting thanks❤❤❤
First time I've ever gagged from a Deep Look video, which is an accomplishment. lol Worth it.
Glad you enjoyed it, I guess?
@@KQEDDeepLook Mostly! Usually I can eat comfortably while watching these, but in that one moment, I am glad I didn't have food with this video. Thanks for another great video!
What an amazing complex micro-ecosystem! It would be neat to know the evolutionary timescale for each intricate facet that makes the present whole.
This is amazing! Thank you for sharing this ❤
Awesome video, as always
Glad you enjoyed it!
Just another day where I learn something that makes me glad I was born as a human...
This are some of the most fascinating beetles because of they active lifestyle and social interactions.
Such fun and educational storytelling with amazing shots.
We're so glad you enjoyed it!
Im a sucker for videos like this, Already binged like all the others
Really interesting video. Keep up the good work ❤
Music was perfect
Absolutely amazing video, as always!
Another great video.
the filming! OMG
amazing footage
You guys should do an episode on elephant nosed fish/mormyrids! They’re incredibly interesting
Well, that was a happy little ditty while I drink my morning coffee :)
Good morning!
Thank you for this video, it's candies to me
needless to say, another fanstastic Deep Look Video. Laura voice is awesome.
0:07 Because it's dropping the bass
I really love this channel 😍😍
We love making these videos!
Awesome! Thank you.
Wow! That was amazing! 💙🌎💚
this was fascinating, but my skin started to crawl. i love it. excellent content.
Love seeing these videos on my feed!
We’re so glad you enjoy them!
The one and only issue I have with these videos: They are tooooo short!! I love the content and want more.
Hi @SuperKertiz, We hear you! We've started to compile our most popular episodes to give our fans more of what they love. Have you watched our compilation about bloodsuckers? ruclips.net/video/RQTi1GWv_lg/видео.htmlsi=twWdS7OjzcMO5Rid We hope you enjoy it!
Wow that is quite the process
3:42 Do we know if the mother beetles choose at random which of their larvae to get rid off or if it is more calculated?
In David Sloan Wilson’s 2007 book Evolution for Everyone, he said no one had done an experiment to see if burying beetles pick which larvae to keep or if they do it randomly. He suggested an experiment where a person would reduce the number of larvae randomly and then compare it to what happens when the beetles do it themselves. If the beetles’ group ends up stronger, it would mean the beetles are actually choosing which larvae to keep.
Hi @Blue-pk1hw, Stephen Trumbo, who studies burying beetles at the University of Connecticut, says that "The youngest ones are more likely to be culled, but other than that it is a mystery." Thanks for watching!
@@KQEDDeepLook Thank you for the reply, I was really puzzled thinking about it, but it being the youngest ones makes sense, since the older ones have more experience it would give them higher chance of surviving (I would think).
one thing that's unique about this channel is their X files like bgm which is sometimes hypnotising lol
Super interesting, thank you.
surprise after surprise! this one short video contains so many mind bending facts about these beetles
What did I just watch 😦
Awesome video! Thanks.
*BEETLE:* Hey! Can I get a little help here?!
*ANTS:* Nope! Sorry! Gotta feed the kids!
How long did it take to find one of these to film?
Hi @EveloGrave. Not long. We worked with UC Davis doctoral student Tracie Hayes, who is researching the beetles.
Beetles have interesting things about them for sure
Saw one of these once, or at least a closely related species. A bird had broken its neck on one of our windows and the beetle crawled out of the carcass as I was shoveling it off our deck.
dang I was not ready for the beetle eating her own wriggling young. geez.
Obsessed with this channel
We love making these videos and we love our fans!
thanks. i needed to feel gross this early in the morning before facing my day
Me 30 seconds ago: "Oh look! A new Deep Look video! This will be a great to watch while I eat!"
Bon appétit !
Who else is devouring this video while eating a meal like I am?
Born into a dead mouse carcass with mites attached to my face, and my parents have pinchers and alien like faces. That is an amazing life. Why do we even care about aliens out there… when they are right here!
Feel itchy watching this
Thank you for another insightful video! I made the comment to someone who said how disgusting this was that it shows God's way of taking care of the earth. Imagine if there were no scavengers-dead bodies would be everywhere decomposing and spreading disease
"I used to think I lived in an ugly place... That I'd have to go far to find beauty. But I've learned it's not about looking further, but closer." ~ Joshua Barkman, writer of the webcomic "False Knees."
There was a time in my life when I would have been absolutely repulsed and disgusted by this -- but now, there's a beauty to it, a little secret life for every critter, big or small. I've been graced with a bountiful world of beauty since then, and you guys help me see things a little... deeper. 😁
So glad you enjoyed it!
Every day is a learning session.
so heartwarming
disgustingly fascinating...nature.
every aspect of this video was nightmare fuel
Wow, great job 🎉
Thank you!
Wow! This is better than the classical BBC EARTH random documentaries..
that’s a surprising amount of parental care for a beetle. chewing food for them and thinning the numbers to increase survival chances. Usually insects are very… lay the egg and run off.
This was so cool!
Hi guys, Callysta's here! Deep Look released this episode at 24 September. It's about burying beetle, a type of beetle who did a decomposition. There is also fire ants in the credits. You can watch the video if you missed it.
Hope you guys enjoyed this episode. See you next time
Is very interesting that a insect knows to devour some of its young so the rest can have the smaller meal. I'm curious whether it did this for another reason other than that
amazing your video
Fascinating!
Now imagine HELL💀🔥(even if it's not real😬)
crazy to see deadmau5 in this
2:40 Feels like there's a party in my carcass, and everyone's invited! -the mouse
It's an underground party.
@@KQEDDeepLook I hear they got deadmau5.
Eating some of the babies was definitely unexpected but very interesting
The most high 🙏❤️
Ash Ketchum And Pikachu have a Phoretic bond! New word learned!
"Pre-chewed mouse into their mouths" thanks, I hate it 💀💀💀
Great video as always btw ❤️
I don't know about reincarnation any more than the next person, but I can't help seeing the personality traits of different people in the critters you explore. I try to be more like an Eagle than a mite, just in case!
Lovely reflection. We haven't made a video about eagles. But you made me think of this Deep Look episode about the peregrine falcon family that lives on the bell tower at the University of California, Berkeley: ruclips.net/video/RTNZmnD27is/видео.htmlsi=Yxg71ksGaVi3Q7Ub Enjoy!
@@KQEDDeepLook That was Great! Thank you!
There’s a surprisingly high level of intelligence being expressed by what I presumed to be a simple bug.
You too
It’s instinct not intelligence!
Forgot about these bugs. When i was little, i used to piss on dead mice and moles. These things would come crawling out of them.
Takes me back.
Ah, memories.
You aren't playing with a full deck are you?
1:28 not the ant eating dead mouse butt 😅😅
Things started out kind of adorable.
Then it went metal real quick at the end.
Amazing!
Hi i love you and bugs
Who designs the soundtrack for these videos? The music in this one rocked, I loved it!
Seth Samuel is the composer. He creates an original score for each episode of Deep Look!