Habitat preference of two burying beetles (Coleoptera: Silphidae: Nicrophorus) living among seabirds

We investigated habitat preference of two Silphidae species (Nicrophorus investigator Zetterstedt and N. defodiens Mannerheim) occurring on a seabird island located off the southeastern shore of Newfoundland, Canada. Pitfall traps were placed in the nesting burrows of two seabird species: Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica) located in grassland habitat and Leach's Storm-Petrel (Oceanodroma leucorhoa) occurring in both forest and open meadow habitat. Nicrophorus investigator was primarily found in petrel burrows located in open meadow habitat, whereas N. defodiens occurred exclusively in petrel burrows located in forested habitat. Only a few specimens of N. investigator were collected from puffin burrows. These results show a spatial partitioning of resources between the two beetle species and suggest petrel burrows provide more abundant food sources than puffin burrows for burying beetles breeding on the island.