Robust Skimmer

I am wondering what the little red things are underneath the dragonfly. I saw several dragonflies with them. Are they some sort of parasite? Or part of the dragonfly?

Dragonflies are frequently hosts to Ectoparasitic Water Mite larvae that attach themselves to the Dragonfly while it is still an aquatic naiad. The Northwest Dragonflier website maintains that when the naiad molts into a winged adult, the larval Water Mites in the genus Arrenurus crawl from the cast off exuvia onto the still soft body of the winged adult and attach themselves as ectoparasites. They derive both nourishment from this and the advantage of transportation to a new body of water where they can drop off and mature.

http://www.whatsthatbug.com/2013/07/21/ectoparasitic-water-mites-on-blu…