Phil Bendle Collection:Beetle (Ham beetle) Necrobia ruficollis

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Atelocerata
Class: Hexapoda
Infraclass: Neoptera
Subclass: Pterygota
Order: Coleoptera
Suborder: Polyphaga
Infraorder: Cucujiformia
Superfamily: Cleroidea
Family: Cleridae
Subfamily: Korynetinae
Tribe: Korynetini
Genus: Necrobia
Species: N. ruficollis
Binomial name: Necrobia ruficollis
Common names: Ham beetle, Red-shouldered ham beetle, Red-necked bacon beetle, Red-breasted copra beetle, Two coloured piston beetle, "Latreille's saviour".

Necrobia ruficollis is a predatory (feeding on other insects) beetle in the family Cleridae. This species has a cosmopolitan distribution. It feeds on dead animals, including dried and smoked meats and animal skins, fishmeal, as well as on cheese. It is frequently found in cadavers in the later stages of decomposition and is thus useful in forensic entomology.
Necrobia ruficollis is 4.0–6.5 millimetres long beetle that is mostly a metallic black or dark blue/green colour except for its thorax and legs and the bases of the elytra which are reddish brown.
The beetle’s larvae feed on dried fat and pupate inside the empty pupal cases of flies, after sealing the opening with silk.

Necrobia ruficollis on a dead animal hide.

Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0

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