Bug FAQShore Sexton Beetle
Necrodes littoralis · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Staphylinidae
Shore Sexton Beetles are 15 to 25 mm long and have a distinctive bump three-quarters down their hardened forewings. They are carrion beetles that live on decaying animal remains, mainly outdoors but sometimes indoors, and are most active in spring and summer.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
A key identifying feature is a raised bump located about three quarters of the way along each elytron.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults measure between 15 and 25 mm (0.6 to 1.0 in) in length.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
Researchers think the beetles have trouble locating indoor carrion because they cannot easily detect building openings. When a building is left open and neglected, the beetles can colonize indoor corpses.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They are typically found on large carcasses in the late stages of decomposition, usually outdoors. Occasional indoor records exist when a corpse is left in a neglected indoor space with easy access.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Both adults and larvae feed on decaying vertebrate tissue and the maggots that inhabit it. Adults may spread anal exudates on the carrion, generating heat that helps larvae locate suitable temperatures.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Mating usually occurs at night. First-instar larvae hatch creamy-white and move toward the carrion for food.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species has a Palearctic distribution, with most records from Europe. Confirmed countries include Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, England, France, Hungary, and Slovakia.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 1 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Georgia.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What do Shore Sexton Beetles eat?
They feed on decaying animal remains and the maggots found on those carcasses.
Source: Wikipedia
Where are they found?
They are native to the Palearctic region, especially across many European countries.
Source: Wikipedia
Can they live indoors?
Yes, they have been observed on indoor carrion, especially when the area is neglected and accessible.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Staphylinidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necrodes_littoralis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.