Silphidae: Carrion Beetles

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Nicrophorus guttala

Cuyamaca Woods, North Peak, Cuyamaca Mountains

Nicrophorus sp.

Cuyamaca Woods, North Peak, Cuyamaca Mountains

This beetle came to a black light. The mites are phoretic (hitchhiking, essentially). When the carrion beetle travels to carrion, the mites hop off and eat fly eggs, larvae, etc. that are present, and this reduces the competition for the carrion beetle's larvae.
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