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narrow; basal margin wide; anterior, transverse
impression present (as in Fig. 80).
Metasternum and metepimeron with dense,
yellow pubescence. Elytra: Each elytron
with two transverse, orange maculae, anterior
orange macula nearly always reaching
suture, posterior macula not quite extending
to suture; surface with sparse, short,
slender, decumbent, black setae. Epipleuron
completely orange (Fig. 89) Legs: Posterior
tibia slightly curved. Anterior face of procoxa
with long setae on basal half.
Distribution. Nicrophorus obscurus occurs
from the southern Canadian prairie provinces
into the north-central United States as
far south as Nebraska and northern Colorado
(Anderson and Peck 1985, Peck and Kaulbars
1987). Nebraska records indicate this
species is found statewide.
Locality Records (Fig. 114). 382 Nebraska
specimens examined or recorded.
CHERRY CO. (19): Ft. Niobrara National
Wildlife Refuge; CUMING CO. (1): West
Point; CUSTER CO. (5): Sargent; DAWES
CO. (7): Pine Ridge area; FRONTIER CO.
(42): Farnam, Medicine Creek Reservoir, Red
Willow Reservoir; GOSPER CO. (10): Elwood
Reservoir, Lexington, Smithfield; KEITH
CO. (1): Cedar Point Biological Station;
KEYA PAHA CO. (1): Carns; LANCASTER
CO. (1): Lincoln; LINCOLN CO. (290): Box
Elder Canyon, Cottonwood Canyon, Moran
Canyon, Sutherland, Wellfleet; PHELPS
CO. (1): Bertrand; SIOUX CO. (1): Harrison;
THOMAS CO. (3): Halsey Forest Reserve.
Temporal Distribution. Rangewide:
March to September (Peck and Kaulbars
1987). Nebraska: June (3), July (180), August
(193), September (4), October (1).
Remarks. The deeply emarginate outer
edge of the third antennal segment (Fig. 85)
is particularly characteristic of this species.
Nicrophorus guttula is similar in appearance,
but has a simply emarginate third antennal
segment (Fig. 84). Nicrophorus obscurus
THE CARRION BEETLES OF NEBRASKA 77
also closely resembles N. marginatus but is
distinguished from it by the presence, in N.
obscurus, of long setae on the anterior face of
the procoxa in the basal half; N. marginatus
has short setae.
The larval stage was described by Anderson
(1982b), and a brief diagnosis was
given by Anderson and Peck (1985).
Anderson and Peck (1982) observed
that this is a diurnal prairie species, and
that adults have been collected at carrion
and human feces. I have taken this species
in moderate numbers in western Nebraska
using baited pitfall traps.
Nicrophorus orbicollis Say
(Figs. 82, 90, 117-118)
Necrophorus orbicollis Say 1825: 177.
Necrophorus halli Kirby 1837: 98.
Necrophorus quadrisignatus Laporte 1840: 1.
Diagnosis. Length 14.8-23.0 mm. Head:
Club of antenna with basal segment black,
remaining segments orange. Thorax:
Pronotum suborbicular, with lateral and
basal margins broad; anterior, transverse
impression deep, distinct (Fig. 82). Surface
usually with setae along margins and
in transverse impression laterally, these
sometimes worn away. Metasternum
with dense, light brown pubescence. Metepimeron
with sparse, dark brown setae.
Elytra: Elytra with long setae over entire
surface, setae occasionally abraded away
and present only along lateral margins (best
seen in oblique lighting). Each elytron with
an anterior, transverse, orange macula and a
posterior, orange spot; markings not reaching
suture. Epipleuron black; epipleural ridge
extending anteriorly only to level of apex of
scutellum (Fig. 90). Legs: Posterior tibia
straight. Anterior face of procoxa with short
setae on basal half.
Distribution. Nicrophorus orbicollis is
widely distributed in the eastern half of North
America to southeastern Saskatchewan to
eastern Texas (Anderson and Peck 1985,