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.

Milestone: Half a million page hits for BitB!

Posted on May 20, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

Just a quick post to thank BitB readers past and present—today BitB surpassed one-half million page hits! BitB may be a labor of love on my part, but its readers are who have made it fun and kept me motivated. To … Continue reading →

Posted in [No taxon] | Tagged , | 7 Comments

Maddening mutillid

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

During my stay in Corrientes, Argentina, I had two distinct biomes to explore—the relatively moist “Selva Paraguayense” to the east in Corrientes Province (a southern adjunct to the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil, and home to the cryptic longhorned beetle … Continue reading →

Posted in Hymenoptera, Mutillidae | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

One-Shot Wednesday: Upside down bee fly

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

This has got to be one of the strangest photos I’ve ever taken. Three weeks ago after visiting Sam A. Baker State Park (and photographing the scorpionfly featured in last week’s One-Shot Wednesday post), my dad and I visited a couple of … Continue reading →

Posted in Bombyliidae, Diptera | Tagged , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Aglaoschema rufiventre in Chaco, Argentina

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

I’ve mentioned a few times that April is not a very good time to look for beetles in northern Argentina, as the months preceding April are typically hot and dry. September through January would be a much better time, especially to … Continue reading →

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

Friday Flower: Phacelia purshii

Posted on May 11, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

It’s been rather a long time since I’ve featured a botanical subject here, so it seems a good time to resurrect my “Friday Flower” meme with this delightful little wildflower seen on my birthday field trip a few weeks ago. Phacelia purshii … Continue reading →

Posted in Hydrophyllaceae, Plantae | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

One-Shot Wednesday: Panorpa helena scorpionfly

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

Last month I introduced a new meme called One-Shot Wednesday as a fun outlet for those occasional instances where I was able to fire off just one shot of an insect before it took off. At the time I guess I … Continue reading →

Posted in Mecoptera, Panorpidae | Tagged , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Desmiphora hirticollis: Crypsis or Mimicry?

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

During my stay in Corrientes, Argentina last month, I was invited to spend the day with a colleague at his “camp” in Paso de la Patria. Located on the banks of the massive Rio Paraná at its junction with the Rio … Continue reading →

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

More fly got eye!

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

Here is another fly photographed during my recent visit to Argentina. I had little doubt when I saw it that it, too, was a member of the family Stratiomyidae; however, unlike the previous species this one was a far more cooperative subject … Continue reading →

Posted in Diptera, Stratiomyidae | Tagged , , , , , , , | 11 Comments