Accidentally faked color morph: Nicrophorus

[Chuck]

I accidentally made a fake color morph.



This nicrophorus was near my MV and I didn't feel like bagging it, so I tossed it into the pan of soapy water under the MV. The next morning the protonum had turned white, and still is.

[bandrow]

Hi Chuck,

I think you're on the level - this appears to be a specimen of Nicrophorus tomentosus, which has dense yellowish pubescence on the pronotum - the only species in the U.S. with a hairy pronotum...

No fakery here!

Cheers!
Bandrow

[Chuck]

Hi Chuck,

I think you're on the level - this appears to be a specimen of Nicrophorus tomentosus, which has dense yellowish pubescence on the pronotum - the only species in the U.S. with a hairy pronotum...

No fakery here!

Cheers!
Bandrow

But it was black! or dark brown. And it's not the pubescence, the exoskeleton (or, what's under it) is now white-ish.

[Chris Grinter]

Must have been covered in rotting flesh or mud before you cleaned it off.

[Chuck]

Must have been covered in rotting flesh or mud before you cleaned it off.

Interesting. Thanks Chris and Bob.