Submitted by @hyakugei – Found at the top of Mt. Fuji.It took some digging (ha) but this b
Submitted by @hyakugei – Found at the top of Mt. Fuji.It took some digging (ha) but this beetle has been ID’d as a Dendroxena sexcarinata (Silphidae), ヨツボシヒラタシデムシ (Yotsuboshi Hirata-Shidemushi)Silphidae are carrion beetles and this gives them a slightly spooky or dirty reputation, but they perform a vital service to the ecosystem and even to human Forensic Entomologists, because they can provide information about time of death when found on a decaying body. Some beetles in this family will actually bury dead flesh in order to utilize its nutrients. Description: 10-15mm in length, with a light brown, golden or orange color with four even spots on the wing tips, black underneath, black head and black central patch in the thorax. Feeds Upon: Dendroxena sexcarinata in particular feeds upon caterpillars (including Gypsy Moth caterpillars). It is active in daylight.Distribution: Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu. Often found in mountainous regions.Photo 2 Photo 3 -- source link
#silphidae#beetle#carrion beetle#black spots#orange beetle#japanese insect