Garcia, Charlene (Mary Washington College). Mentors: Henry Wilbur and Patrice Ludwig (University of Virginia). The relationship between phoretic mites and forked fungus beetles (Bolitotherus cornutus).

Abstract: It is common to find mites in close ecological relationships with other organisms. However, the paucity of empirical research regarding these relationships and preferences outside of parasitic relationships makes it difficult to understand the more subtle impacts by mites on the dynamics of hosts. The focus of this study was to determine if there was a sexual dimorphism in the phoretic mite loads of the forked fungus beetle (Bolitotherus cornutus). Phoretic mites are non-parasitic and will use their hosts for dispersing between habitats. A laboratory experiment and hours of field observations showed no significant correlations between mite loads and sex, size or bracket condition.