Silphidae: Carrion Beetles

     Nicrophorus guttala
     Cuyamaca Woods, North Peak, Cuyamaca Mountains

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       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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