Wednesday, March 12, 2008

American Burying Beetle

Nicrophorus americanus

Never before has a creature so readily combined sex and death into its very existence. These miniature Sweeney Todds dance a nightly macabre tango wherein they fight over corpses, bury said corpses with their lady loves and then mate in victory over said corpses. I find it....rather stimulating, I must confess. While we've pushed these little morticians to the brink of extinction and I am inclined to let us just add that extra shove to exert our authority, these little fellows have wiggled their shiny carapaces into my heart and I think we should give them a chance if for no other reason then to act as a reminder that sinful, erotic behaviour leads to a gradual decline in numbers across North America and Not the expansion of housing developments and the killing off of large predators (both of which are awesome and necessary for the survival of our species' awesome). So I will set aside taste and hatitude this day and allow this twisted little Cronenberg Beetle to go about its day.

I Judge them: Worthy of Existence (although I don't think it'll help. Housing developments rule!)

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