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Photo#1588401
winter firefly with what appears to be tiny red parasites on its back and underside - Ellychnia corrusca

winter firefly with what appears to be tiny red parasites on its back and underside - Ellychnia corrusca
Wyman township, Franklin County, Maine, USA
September 3, 2018
Size: maybe 1/2 inch long
I found what I believe is a winter firefly resting on a glass door to an a-frame cabin. Initially I thought it might be dead but after taking several photos of it, it suddenly became active and scurried away. The tiny red dots on its back and underside made me think it was covered in some sort of parasite eggs or larvae (maybe wasp?), or some kind of mites but after several variously worded internet searches was unable to find any relevant info online. Does anyone know what these tiny red insects (if they are insects) are? Note that there's even a small red parasite on its antenna (blurry on this photo but clear in other photos.

Images of this individual: tag all
winter firefly with what appears to be tiny red parasites on its back and underside - Ellychnia corrusca winter firefly with what appears to be tiny red parasites on its back and underside

Moved
Moved from Mites and Ticks.

Moved
Moved from ID Request.

mites may be phoretic, rather than parasitic...
i.e., they are using the beetle for transportation

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