so that once they become larva they will begin to feed on their substrate. As is common with most Silphidae, the adults will typically feed on carrion as well as the larva of flies that are also feeding on the carrion. During the springtime when mating is observable, adults are commonly found paired with the males mounted on the females. This position will be maintained for periods of time even though copulation may not be occurring at that instant. Typically, males will firmly take hold of the female’s antennae with their mandibles in order to position themselves for sexual activity. Once copulation is achieved the male will release the female’s antenna and begin to slide backward onto the female’s elytra. He will then begin to use his antennae to stroke the pronotum of the female. Again the male searches for and grabs the female’s antennae and this series of events is repeated. This activity will occur frequently until the female oviposits. Males have not been seen to be sexually active when the eggs and/or instar larvae are present at the carcass. This behavior suggests that the males might use this time to insure paternity of the offspring of the particular female with which he mated. Distribution and habitat Oiceoptoma noveboracense is most commonly found in deciduous forests or in grasslands and fields. It will less frequently inhabit marshes. When the species is found in a marsh, the area is typically prone to seasonal inundation. This causes the marsh to superficially resemble a dried field habitat. O. noveboracense is found from the Atlantic coast of the Northeastern United States, extending along the northern edge of the prairies west to the Rocky Mountains. It may be present as far south as Texas. Importance Forensic Due to its widespread distribution, Oiceoptoma noveboracense is frequently found on carrion and associated crime scene investigations. They are currently used to substantiate and support insect colonization timelines and help estimate Post-mortem interval (PMI). Arriving variably after initial insect colonizers (flies), the adults will prey on fly maggots and rarely feed on the carrion. They can also be found in the later stages of decomposition depending on variables like temperature, climate, and location of the carrion. Ultimately, if found, these beetles corroborate the PMI data of the more useful insect colonizers with succession-pattern-based information. Medical The medical importance of Oiceoptoma noveboracense has yet to be substantially determined. However,