There seems to be a few stages of this beetle eating some decay material. I am posting the largest of the group. I have never seen this bug in the forest before. It is at least 1" long, black, almost round with a yellow blotch by the head. Can anyone help ID this bug.
mgarr,
This forum is for questions relating to adding data to the BugFiles database.
We have a forum on Insect and Spider Identification here: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/bugid/all/
and if you post your question there, you may get some help,
If you have an image, you could attach it to the message you post for a better chance of getting an identification
Having said that, I have managed to identify your beetle. You are right in calling it a Carrion Beetle, it is the American Carrion Beetle - Necrophila americana in the family Silphidae:
http://davesgarden.com/guides/bf/go/2489/
http://bugguide.net/node/view/6744
Kennedy
BugFiles Administrator
