Margined Carrion Beetle

Margined Carrion Beetle

Oiceoptoma noveboracense

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at New York City

In 3 days ~10%

14 Verified sightings at New York City
10 In 1 park From 2019 to 2026
June Best month
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted

About the Margined Carrion Beetle

Oiceoptoma noveboracense is a member of the family Silphinae, or carrion beetles, which feed on decaying organic matter such as dead animals. Its common name is the margined carrion beetle, from the orange-red margins on the pronotum, which are helpful when identifying this species. The larva is typically light brown to red and also has vertical ridges on its thorax like the adult. This diurnal beetle can be found mainly in the spring into the fall, and it has a strong preference towards a deciduous forest habitat. The primary forensic importance of this beetle is its ability to use the succession of insect fauna to provide confirmation of postmortem intervals.

Oiceoptoma noveboracense's Latin specific name means "pertaining to New York" (Latin Novum Eboracum + -ensis), referring to the original source of the type specimen. Although less common, some literature will refer to the species as Oiceoptoma noveboracensis. The genus Oiceoptoma was described by the English naturalist, William Elford Leach, in 1815.

Oiceoptoma noveboracense larvae range from light brown to dark reddish in color. The larvae are typically flat and trilobite-like in appearance... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

More parks will be added in future updates.

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Washington 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
2 Montreal 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
3 New York City 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
4 Chicago 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
5 Toronto 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Margined Carrion Beetle in New York City?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Margined Carrion Beetle sighting in New York City on a given day, based on 14 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 841st most-seen of the 1623 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Margined Carrion Beetle in New York City?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Margined Carrion Beetle in New York City on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Margined Carrion Beetle?

Between 6 and 9 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Margined Carrion Beetle sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.

Is New York City the best place to see a Margined Carrion Beetle?

Among the best

Of the 5 cities where we can rate Margined Carrion Beetle sightings, New York City ranks 3rd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Washington (United States, under 5%) and Montreal (Canada, under 5%).

Where does the Margined Carrion Beetle sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Margined Carrion Beetle is recorded against all the insects logged in New York City (14 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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