American burying beetle

Grasslands, prairies, and oak-hickory forests with deep, loose soil sufficient for burying carcasses.

Carrion (dead animal carcasses) as larvae; adults are scavengers that also eat other insects found at carcasses.

Nocturnal; they locate a small carcass, bury it in the ground, and both parents provide care for the larvae—a rare behavior among insects.

Benefits include natural recycling of nutrients and soil aeration; they are federally endangered in the USA and pose no risk to humans.