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.

Another cover photo

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

Issue 43(4) of Cicindela (A quarterly journal devoted to Cicindelidae) is now hitting mailboxes (my copy arrived earlier this week), and for the second issue in a row the cover features one of my tiger beetle photos. Gracing the cover this time is … Continue reading →

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

“My peripatetic quest for North America’s rarest tiger beetles”

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

This week I gave a presentation on my latest Annual Fall Tiger Beetle Trip to the Entomology Group of the Webster Groves Nature Study Society. With the exception of a brief 5 year period in the early 1990s while I lived in … Continue reading →

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

Return to Calico Rock

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

Although western sand dune endemics were the top goals on my cicindelophilic wish list during last fall’s Annual Tiger Beetle Trip, I started the trip by leaving St. Louis in the most unlikeliest of directions—south! No, I wasn’t trying to get to Denver … Continue reading →

Posted in Cicindelidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

BitB’s Newest Contributor – Chris Brown

Posted on January 18, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

To regular readers of this blog, the name Chris Brown should be familiar. As a frequent companion on many of my field trips over the past decade, I’ve had numerous opportunities to mention his name in the posts that I’ve written about those … Continue reading →

Posted in [No taxon] | Tagged , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Colorado’s Great Sand Dunes Tiger Beetle

Posted on January 16, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

Last year’s Annual Fall Tiger Beetle Trip entered its last day as an unqualified success. Travel partner Jeff Huether and I were doing the “Great Western Sand Dune Tour” on a quest to find and photograph some of North America’s most geographically … Continue reading →

Posted in Cicindelidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

Memories of summer – Neoclytus scutellaris

Posted on January 15, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

During the short, cold days of winter it’s nice to take a break from the curatorial activities that dominate the season and look back on some of the insects seen during the previous summer. This is Neoclytus scutellaris, a longhorned … Continue reading →

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

Something for Adrian

Posted on January 14, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

In a comment on my Buprestidae exchange post, Adrian Thysse asked to see hi-res images of specimen drawers from my own collection. Like any good North American entomologist, Adrian was a little bothered by the card-mounting technique used by the sender of the specimen … Continue reading →

Posted in Cerambycidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

ID Challenge #15

Posted on January 11, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

It’s been almost a month since the last challenge, and since Alex got back to his roots I think I’ll do likewise. This is a straight up identification—the order and family are obvious (or should be), so I’m going to limit ID points … Continue reading →

Posted in Cicindelidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , | 27 Comments