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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Chelicerates (Chelicerata) » Arachnids (Arachnida) » Mites and Ticks (Acari) » Parasitiformes » Mesostigs (Mesostigmata) » Parasitina » Parasitoidea » Parasitidae » Parasitinae » Poecilochirus
Photo#84362
carrion burying beetle with mites? - Poecilochirus
Copyright © 2006 Rachel Kunc Hall

carrion burying beetle with mites? - Poecilochirus
Chalco Hills Recreation Area, Sarpy County, Nebraska, USA
October 22, 2006
Size: 2 - 3 cm
We saw this large black and orange beetle crossing the trail at this recreation area. When we looked at the photos, enlarged, we thought these might be some type of mite symbiotically being carried by this beetle. Any idea which mite these might be?

Images of this individual: tag all
carrion burying beetle with mites? - Poecilochirus carrion burying beetle with mites? - Nicrophorus orbicollis
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Contributed by Rachel Kunc Hall on 22 October, 2006 - 6:40pm
Last updated 7 October, 2016 - 5:04pm

Moved
Moved from Roundneck Sexton Beetle.
… Ray Fisher, 7 October, 2016 - 5:04pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Sexton Beetles.
… Guy A. Hanley, 29 November, 2007 - 4:14pm login or register to post comments

They're symbiotic.
Each derives a benefit from the other. Mites and false scor*pions climb aboad beetles as air transport in order to reach new food supplies they could never reach by foot. The mites in turn eat the eggs and freshly hatched maggots of flies that compete with beetle larvae for the food source. This arrangement is equally true for carrion and dung beetles. Therefore, a mite-laden beetle is more likely to have offspring that survive. (I'm unsure what payment the false scorp*ions might make :-)
… Jim McClarin, 22 October, 2006 - 7:37pm login or register to post comments

 
Thanks
This is another interesting idea I can share with my middle school science students. Nature is amazing.

Thanks for your input.
… Rachel Kunc Hall, 23 October, 2006 - 7:38pm login or register to post comments

Carrion beetle
They shouldn't call this the "carrion burying beetle," but the "carrying, burying beetle"!! Hahaha!

(I know -- that was bad)
… Noor Beckwith, 22 October, 2006 - 7:06pm login or register to post comments

 
Good joke
My husband and I enjoyed your joke...thanks for your input.
… Rachel Kunc Hall, 23 October, 2006 - 7:38pm login or register to post comments

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