Author Archives: Ted C. MacRae

About Ted C. MacRae

Ted C. MacRae is a research entomologist by vocation and beetle taxonomist by avocation. Areas of expertise in the latter include worldwide jewel beetles (Buprestidae) and North American longhorned beetles (Cerambycidae). More recent work has focused on North American tiger beetles (Cicindelidae) and their distribution, ecology, and conservation.

The ever-increasing diversity of Oklahoma beetles

Posted on July 23, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

My idea to return to Oklahoma’s Gloss Mountains this spring actually began taking shape during last year’s fall visit to the area, when I found a single Chrysobothris octocola adult on a dead mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) branch. While common across the southwestern … Continue reading →

Posted in Buprestidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Registration is now open for my ESA Webinar

Posted on July 19, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

Just released from ESA (Entomological Society of America): Approaching the Unapproachable: Tips and Tricks for Field Photography of Wary Insects presented by Ted MacRae.  Learn valuable field photography techniques from Ted MacRae, Senior Research Entomologist at Monsanto Company.  Ted specializes in photographing … Continue reading →

Posted in [No taxon] | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Where do BitB readers come from (and why I like Facebook better than Twitter and Google+)?

Posted on July 17, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

I’m not obsessed with blog stats, but every now and then it’s interesting to take a look and see what information I can glean from them. One of the stats provided by WordPress is “Referrers”—which sites readers came from. This … Continue reading →

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

“Rare jewel beetles discovered in Mexico by team of scientists!”

Posted on July 13, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

I hope you’ll excuse the hyperbolic title, but such has been my impression with some of the headlines I’ve seen recently in the popular media regarding newly described insect taxa in various parts of the world. The “discovery” of new species … Continue reading →

Posted in Buprestidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

“Blue-sky” tips and tricks

Posted on July 1, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

For the past two years I’ve been working to refine my “blue-sky” technique for insect macrophotographs. This refers to careful balancing of camera and flash settings to achieve full-flash illumination of the subject while still allowing enough ambient illumination from the sky … Continue reading →

Posted in Chrysopidae, Neuroptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Cover photo for the June 2013 issue of The Coleopterists Bulletin

Posted on June 27, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

Did anybody think that weevil photograph on the cover of the June 2013 issue of The Coleopterists Bulletin (vol. 67, no. 2) looked familiar? If so, it’s  because you saw it first in my April 28, 2013 post, Giving me the weevil eye! This … Continue reading →

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

Plionoma suturalis in Oklahoma—a new state record!

Posted on June 23, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

When I returned from my vacation/insect collecting trip to western Oklahoma two weeks ago, most people upon learning where I went responded with a funny look that said, “Why would you want to go to Oklahoma?” Even entomologists familiar with … Continue reading →

Posted in Cerambycidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , | 11 Comments

A chalcidid jewel beetle parasitoid wasp

Posted on June 21, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

As a student of jewel beetles with an interest in their larval host plant associations, rearing has been an important tool for my studies. Through the years, I’ve retrieved literally hundreds of batches of dead wood from the field and … Continue reading →

Posted in Hymenoptera | Tagged , , , , , , | 9 Comments