burying beetle


noun

any of various carrion beetles that bury the carcasses of small animals, especially rodents, in which their eggs have been deposited.
Also called sexton beetle.

Origin of burying beetle

First recorded in 1795–1805

Example sentences from the Web for burying beetle

British Dictionary definitions for burying beetle

burying beetle

noun

a beetle of the genus Necrophorous, which buries the dead bodies of small animals by excavating beneath them, using the corpses as food for themselves and their larvae: family Silphidae Also called: sexton