Nicrophorus pustulatus
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Nicrophorus pustulatus, also known as the pustulated carrion beetle or blistered burying beetle, is a species of burying beetle that was described by Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger in 1807. This species is native to North America. N. pustulatus exhibits unique habitat utilization and breeding behaviour relative to other members of the genus. This species may be the only described example of a true parasitoid targeting a vertebrate host.
N. pustulatus is one of over 60 extant species in the genus Nicrophorus. This genus belongs to the subfamily Nicrophorinae (sexton beetles), which is one of two subfamilies in the family Silphidae (carrion beetles, large carrion beetles, or burying beetles). The family Silphidae belongs to the superfamily Staphylinoidea, infraorder Staphyliniformia, suborder Polyphaga, and order Coleoptera. The genus Nicrophorus is hypothesized to have evolved in the Cretaceous Period approximately 99-127 million years ago and then undergone most of its speciation in the period approximately 40-60 million years ago. This was the period when the small-bodied vertebrates that these beetles use for carrion were also radiating.
One recent molecular... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Pustulated Carrion Beetle sighting in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 628th most-seen of the 822 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Pustulated Carrion Beetle in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a given day, against under 5% in August to June, the lowest months.
Between 10 pm and 1 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Pustulated Carrion Beetle sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
Among the best
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Pustulated Carrion Beetle sightings, Great Smoky Mountains National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Shenandoah National Park (United States, under 5%).
Same genus: Nicrophorus
The closest relatives of the Pustulated Carrion Beetle that you can see in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (genus Nicrophorus, Burying Beetles) are Roundneck Sexton Beetle (about 10%), Tomentose Burying Beetle (about 10%) and Boreal Burying Beetle (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Pustulated Carrion Beetle is recorded against all the insects logged in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (7 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
