PHORETIC MITE

Phoretic Mites use a host purely as a means of transportation. This can be beneficial for both host and mite. The Sexton Beetle seeks carrion to bury as a food store for its young. The mites prey on maggots and other competition attracted to the same food source. This leaves the carrion untouched for the beetle's larvae to feed upon. When the new beetles emerge they carry the mites away to another carcass and the cycle repeats. In this picture you will see a mite hanging onto the beetle's neck.

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