A social being... capable of actual affection... nuzzling its young with almost human-like compassion

The Social Behaviour of Burying Beetles.

Scoff at entomology all you will. The fact remains that if it were not for their clear-eyed observations of the Sexton Beetle Nicrophorus, and of the way these beetles reshape the carcasses of small animals to make food and furniture for their larvae, Loris and Margery Milne would never have been inspired to invent the bean bag.

Bean bags enjoyed considerably more popularity with consumers after the Milnes realised that they could be stuffed with expanded polystyrene pellets rather than with decomposing flesh.

The Adventures of Nicolas the Nicrophorus Beetle would make a great kids' book for $mas but buggrit, some bastidge has gone and written it already.