black burying beetle carrying Poecilochirus mites
Nicrophorus nigrita carrying Poecilochirus sp.
This sexton beetle, without the typical Halloween markings, was by far my favorite find. I love its bright orange antennal clubs. And, it brought hitchhiking friends to the blacklight party. I played around with the camera flash and a handheld flashlight. I'm pleased with the lighting results. The mites weren't too keen being in the spotlight and would crawl underneath the beetle if lit for too long. Despite the tall tale or two I told while camping, these mites do not feed on the beetle. Finding information online proved to be challenging. The Hilton Pond Center has a nice article on phoretic mites and carrion beetles in general.
ps - Graeme, I'm waiting for a good carrion/carry-on pun.
ps - Graeme, I'm waiting for a good carrion/carry-on pun.
