burying/sexton beetle

5821  Found this trying to fly on a warm sunny day on Quadra Island BC. I can’t identify the large insect but assume mites are on his/her back.  The mites if that’s what they are eventually killed the larger insect after an hour or so of serious torment.

This is a burying/sexton beetle (Coleoptera: Silphidae) in the genus Nicrophorus. The little red critters are mites that are using the beetle as transportation (a phenomenon known as phoresy) to get to their next meal source – see http://tinyurl.com/gumcmra for an image. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.