I knew I should have taken my camera!

I saw a beetle on the path to Jordan lake, in the woods, south of Durham, NC. It was about 1 inch long, 1/4 - 1/3 inch wide, and striped black and orange from head to end (what do you call a beetle butt?). The stripes were horizonal. The end part was black.

Here's the interesting part: It was covered with tiny moving orange mites that looked very much like aphids.

I know its color was like a carrion beetle, but it was bigger than any carrion beetle I've seen, and he was moving around the leaves underfoot, not on anything dead.

Thanks for any suggestions or websites you can send me to.

Elly