D3237: Buriers of the dead: An active learning exercise about sexton beetles

Burying beetles are an important group of detritivore insects that are found throughout the northern hemisphere. Thirty of the 200 known species reside in North America where they seek appropriately-sized carcasses and bury them in soft soil. Burial hides the carcass from scavengers, allowing the beetle pair to raise their offspring. We created a hands-on activity to introduce the public to burying beetles and allow investigations of their behavior. Various sized stuffed animals were purchased and simulated soils were created with packing peanuts and shredded paper. Participants play the role of burying beetles as they hide various sized carcasses under simulated soils of different densities while being timed. The activity allows users (targeted at fourth graders) to discover factors that allow burying beetles to successfully reproduce. Follow-ups to the exercise include appreciation of burying beetle diversity and niche partitioning, introducing participants to both diversity and ecology.