Abstract/Summary

Burying beetles (Silphidae) and mites (Acari) have a well-established mutualis- tic interaction. The beetles will transport as many mites as possible to their new nesting habitat, offering shelter to the mites (Parasitidae, Macrochelidae, Histiostomatidae). In return, the mites will eliminate any food competitors, like blowfly (Calliphoridae) larvae. A voucher specimen of Nicrophorus vespillo (L., 1758) housed in the historical collection at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History (OUMNH) was examined for its 456 plus phoretic mites, which were carefully glued to cardboard slides and preserved with the beetle carrier. In total, with the addition of 6 hypopi of Histiostomatidae, 462 mites were identified. Four hypopi of Histiostomatidae were found attached on the Parasitidae dorsal shields and two glued to the cardboard surface. The remaining 456 were composed of 445 specimens that included two populations of Poecilochirus carabi Canestrini & Canestrini, 1882 (Parasitidae), and 11 specimens identified as two populations of Macrocheles nataliae Bregetova et Koroleva, 1960. We discuss the interaction and diversity of mites on this single Nicrophorus vespillo host.