Chris Mattison / Black carrion beetle (Necrodes littoralis) on white background Catbrook, Monmouthshire, Wales, UK, June. Focus-stacked image.

Chris Mattison / Black burying beetle (Nicrophorus humator) on white background Catbrook, Monmouthshire, Wales, UK, May.

Lorraine Bennery / Beetle (Xylodrepa quadripunctata), Essonne, Senart forest, France, April.

Chris Mattison / Sexton beetle (Nicrophorus investigator) on a dead mouse. Drumnadrochit, Inverness, Scotland, UK, August. (The mites that can be seen are using the beetle to carry them to food; they do not parasitise...

Chris Mattison / Sexton beetle (Nicrophorus investigator) Drumnadrochit, Inverness, Scotland, UK, August.

John Abbott / Sexton beetle (Nicrophorus pustulatus) flying, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, USA Controlled conditions. July

John Abbott / Sexton beetle (Nicrophorus pustulatus) flying, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, USA Controlled conditions. July

John Abbott / Sexton beetle (Nicrophorus carolinus) in flight, Lamar County, Texas, USA Controlled conditions. July

John Abbott / Sexton beetle (Nicrophorus carolinus), in flight, Lamar County, Texas, USA Controlled conditions. July

John Abbott / Burying beetle (Silphidae) Texas, USA, Controlled conditions. July

John Abbott / Burying beetle (Nicrophorus orbicollis) flying shots taken with high speed flash. Lamar County, Texas, USA Controlled conditions. June

MYN / Tim Hunt / Burying beetle (Nicrophorus investigator) Barnt Green, Worcestershire, England, UK, September.