Monthly Archives: August 2010

Trichodes bibalteatus in Oklahoma

Posted on August 31, 2010 by Ted C. MacRae

Among checkered beetles (family Cleridae), the genus Trichodes contains among the largest and most strikingly-colored species.  The 11 North American species of this predominantly Holarctic genus are primarily western in distribution, although two species (T. nuttalli and T. apivorus) do occur in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Cleridae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Rejoicing the end of summer

Posted on August 28, 2010 by Ted C. MacRae

Last week I awoke to refreshingly cool temperatures for the first time in a long time – a brutal heat wave that had gripped the Midwest for some time had finally (if only briefly) passed. Missouri typically experiences substantial heat … Continue reading →

Posted in [No taxon] | Tagged , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Clown beetle surprise

Posted on August 25, 2010 by Ted C. MacRae

As I slowly scanned my flashlight through the darkness across the mixed-grass prairie in the Glass Mountains of northwestern Oklahoma last July, there was one thing that I hoped not to see (prairie rattlesnake, unless from afar) and one thing … Continue reading →

Posted in Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

“A good photographer is invisible…”

Posted on August 23, 2010 by Ted C. MacRae

Yesterday I shot down to the southeastern lowlands of Missouri to spend some quality time in the field with friend and fellow cicindelophile Kent Fothergill. We were primarily looking for migrants of the Ascendent Tiger Beetle (Cicindela trifasciata ascendens), a … Continue reading →

Posted in Cicindelidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Cicindela – A quarterly journal devoted to Cicindelidae

Posted on August 20, 2010 by Ted C. MacRae

Being a cicindelophile (i.e., a tiger beetle enthusiast), I have on occasion highlighted articles published in the journal Cicindela (“A quarterly journal devoted to Cicindelidae”) (see previous post – also here, here and here).  This delightful little journal is the now … Continue reading →

Posted in Cicindelidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Bruneau Sand Dune tiger beetles caught in the act!

Posted on August 17, 2010 by Ted C. MacRae

The newest issue of CICINDELA (“A quarterly journal devoted to Cicindelidae”) contains an interesting article by my good friend and fellow tiger beetle enthusiast Kent Fothergill, who presents a fascinating sequence of photos documenting a field encounter with a mating pair … Continue reading →

Posted in Cicindelidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

What’s so special about this beetle?

Posted on August 12, 2010 by Ted C. MacRae

Regular readers of this blog might recognize this as the swift tiger beetle, Cylindera celeripes. This tiny, flightless beetle was once common in the central Great Plains; however, the species has experienced dramatic declines over the past century due to near … Continue reading →

Posted in Cicindelidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 25 Comments

What’s more difficult to see…

Posted on August 9, 2010 by Ted C. MacRae

…than a Trimerotropis latifasciata (broad-banded grasshopper) adult on lichen-encrusted clay exposures? Answer: A T. latifasciata nymph on lichen-encrusted clay exposures. My thanks to David J. Ferguson for confirming my initial ID as a species of Trimerotropis and provisionally placing these individuals as T. … Continue reading →

Posted in Acrididae, Orthoptera | Tagged , , , , , | 20 Comments