1. In carrion insect communities, facilitation and processing chain models, in which carcass feeding by early colonists facilitates colonisation by later colonists, have been regarded as the succession mechanisms without sufficient empirical evidence. Although the two models are similar, the processing chain model also assumes a facilitation process independent of early colonists.2. To reveal the succession mechanisms, field experiments focusing on two silphids, Necrophila japonica, early colonist, and Nicrophorus concolor, later colonist, were conducted.3. I controlled carcass feeding by Ne. japonica by introducing different numbers of them to carcasses in the field to address three questions: (i) whether the introduction promoted Ni. concolor colonisation, (ii) whether the introduction affected Ni. concolor carcass utilisation, and (iii) whether Ni. concolor colonisation affected the introduced Ne. japonica.4. Although Ne. japonica introduction hastened colonisation by Ni. concolor, Ni. concolor colonisation did not depend on Ne. japonica, as assumed by the facilitation model because, due to normal carcass decomposition, it occurred on carcasses that Ne. japonica had not fed on, as assumed by the processing chain model.5. Carcasses with more Ne. japonica feeding was utilised by Ni. concolor for feeding rather than reproduction. After arrival, Ni. concolor excluded Ne. japonica from carcasses.6. These results suggested that succession between Ne. japonica and Ni. concolor may be driven by the processing chain model and interference competition.