Totengräber. Mehrere Necrophorus vespillo am Kadaver einer Maus. Kopulationen, anschließend Kämpfe zwischen gleichgeschlechtlichen Tieren und Abwanderung der "Verlierer". Zwischendurch Nahrungsaufnahme. Erzeugung unterschiedlicher Töne durch Stridulation, vor allem zur Kommunikation. Originalaufnahmen der Stridulationsgeräusche.

The film shows the introductory and copulatory behaviour of the burying beetle Necrophorus vespillo in its anonymous aggregation at the corps of a small animal. One can observe their stridulations as a part of their sexual behaviour. A phase of fights for the cadaver follows. The film demonstrates the combat fights as an expression of the territorial behaviour, leading to the isolation of one couple, which remains at the carcass. The film shows also the stridulations of the beetles during this phase of fighting.