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.

Bicho palito, or “My longest post ever!”

Posted on April 10, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

The last day of my vacation week in Corrientes, Argentina got off to a bad start—heavy rain moved in during the morning, and I feared my last chance at looking for insects was about to be washed away. The weather radar, … Continue reading →

Posted in Orthoptera, Proscopiidae | Tagged , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

The Ups and Downs of Bug Collecting

Posted on April 8, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

Recently The Geek In Question  posted an awesome graph to help visualize the stages of euphoria and despair she experiences while going through the manuscript process. Fellow grad students David Winter (The Atavism) and Morgan Jackson (Biodiversity in Focus) each took … Continue reading →

Posted in [No taxon] | Tagged , , , , , , | 25 Comments

Super Crop Challenge #12

Posted on April 6, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

It’s time for a new BitB Challenge Session, and to begin the 6th edition we start off with a Super Crop Challenge. This is a combination challenge, with points on tap for naming the organism (order, family, genus) and visible … Continue reading →

Posted in [No taxon] | Tagged , , | 32 Comments

Pseudomyrmex in Corrientes, Argentina

Posted on April 3, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

Early April is early autumn in northeastern Argentina, but seasons just south of the Tropic of Capricorn bear little resemblance to the well-defined spring, summer, fall and winter that we are accustomed to in eastern North America. Early fall here is … Continue reading →

Posted in Formicidae, Hymenoptera | Tagged , , , , , | 15 Comments

“Is blogging dead?” – Another view

Posted on April 1, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

Yesterday Alex asked the question that has been on my mind for some time: Is Blogging Dead? He had some nice charts and graphs to illustrate the point, but in the end he thought not. Rather, he speculated, blogging provided … Continue reading →

Posted in [No taxon] | Tagged , , , | 60 Comments

Animals Alarmed!

Posted on March 30, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

Today was my first full day of vacation in Corrientes, Argentina. It was great! I slept late, drank coffee on the balcony, frittered a while on the computer, and then headed for the “Costanera”—a beautiful stretch of green space along … Continue reading →

Posted in Aves, Reptilia, Vertebrata | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments

The backwards firefly

Posted on March 29, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

The beetle in these photos was another “gift” from my colleagues in Fontezuela, Argentina—brought to me shortly after I found the first gift on my desk during my first week at the station. This is obviously a firefly, but I … Continue reading →

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

Seeing the unseen

Posted on March 26, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

While trying to nab a cicada from the small trees planted on the grounds at our experiment station here in Fontezuela, Argentina, I happened to notice a bit of movement on one of the branches nearest to me (while the … Continue reading →

Posted in Hemiptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments