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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