This Northeastern Pine Sawyer (Monochamus notatus) was found giving a free ride to a group of Phoretic mites in Algonquin Provincial Park while conducting research on the factors that drive the succession of pollinator habitats after logging. Phoretic mites aren't parasitic, and the term Phoresis is used to describe this type of behaviour in different species of mites and ticks in which the mites use their host for the sole purpose of traveling, usually without any hindrance to the host. Additionally, while members of the order Coleoptera (Beetles) aren't traditionally thought of as pollinators, they can contribute to the reproduction of angiosperms just like other pollinators!
