It lays its eggs in and the larva eats raw flesh mainly off dead animals and fungi. The larva and adults also consume fly larva and the larva of other carrion beetles that compete for the same food sources as its larva. The occurrence in Fontenelle Forest is not known. This one was photographed in the wetlands in August.

The adult resembles a carpenter bee or bumble bee in flight. From spring through fall, during daylight, a few hours after flies begin arriving at a carcass, the adult beetles will arrive as well. They immediately begin eating the already hatching fly larva, mating, and laying their own eggs. As long as the carcass lasts, the adults will remain eating competitors to give their own larva a chance to eat and grow. Upon hatching from the eggs, the larva will eat both the carcass and other larva that are within it. Eventually the larva will fall to the ground, dig into the dirt, and pupate. The beetle has a mutual relationship with certain non flying mites (see Sexton beetle). The mites drop from the beetle and begin eating the eggs and larva of the flies that preceded the beetles (and continue to lay more eggs even as the beetles are active). They will eventually return to the adults and be transported to the next carcass.