The decline of the American burying beetle has been attributed to habitat loss, alteration, and degradation, and they now occur in less than 10% of their historic range.

The victors bury the carcass, the pair mates, and the female lays her eggs in an adjacent tunnel.

Within a few days, the larvae develop and both parents feed and tend their young, an unusual activity among insects, but a characteristic shared with the earwig.

Mature N. americanus beetles emerge from the soil 45 to 60 days after their parents initially bury the carcass.

Historical records offer little insight into what type of habitat was preferred by the American burying beetle.

In Oklahoma, petitions were made in 2015 and 2016 to delist the species from endangered status as it came in the way of the oil and gas industry in the region.

Lack of small carcasses to bury would prevent the species from reproducing, and changes in land use has reduced the quantity of small- to medium-sized birds and mammals preferred by N. americanus.

[9] The American burying beetle faces threats from climate change, particularly in the southwestern portion of its range, as well as from development causing habitat loss and fragmentation.