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.

What’s black and white and red all over?

Posted on January 11, 2015 by Ted C. MacRae

Last September, labmate and fellow insect collecting enthusiast Stephen Penn and I visited the dolomite glades of the White River Hills in extreme southwestern Missouri. Our main quarry was tiger beetles, specifically a disjunct population of the large and impressive … Continue reading →

Posted in Hemiptera, Reduviidae | Tagged , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

One million hits!

Posted on January 10, 2015 by Ted C. MacRae

I knew it was coming, and yesterday it happened. I was really hoping to see hit number 1,000,000 appear on the small ‘Blog Stats’ item at the bottom of the right sidebar, but I just missed it due to a small traffic … Continue reading →

Posted in [No taxon] | Tagged | 11 Comments

Best of BitB 2014

Posted on January 3, 2015 by Ted C. MacRae

Welcome to the 7th Annual “Best of BitB”, where I pick my favorite photographs from the past year. Before I do this, however, let me briefly recap the year 2014. The trend of increasing travel each year continued, with more days … Continue reading →

Posted in Buprestidae, Cerambycidae, Chrysomelidae, Cicadidae, Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Gryllidae, Gryllotalpidae, Hemiptera, Lepidoptera, Orthoptera, Sphingidae | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 20 Comments

Virtual Mantle 2014

Posted on December 29, 2014 by Ted C. MacRae

As our lives become more digitized, the relatively new tradition of sending holiday “e-greetings” continues to grow. I for one embrace this tradition, as it doesn’t really replace the old tradition of sending actual cards but rather expands the scope of … Continue reading →

Posted in [No taxon] | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Holiday Greetings from BitB!

Posted on December 23, 2014 by Ted C. MacRae
Posted in Cerambycidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Cactus beetle redux!

Posted on December 20, 2014 by Ted C. MacRae

On my most recent Great Plains collecting trip, cactus dodger cicadas weren’t the only residents of the cholla cactus (Cylindropuntia imbricata) that studded the open grasslands in southeastern Colorado—cactus beetles (Moneilema spp.) also were found, though in lesser numbers than their frenetic, screeching neighbors (perhaps the reason for their scarcity?!). I’ve covered cactus … Continue reading →

Posted in Cactaceae, Cerambycidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Missouri Master Naturalists Seminar

Posted on December 13, 2014 by Ted C. MacRae

Earlier this week I had the privilege of speaking to the Confluence Chapter of the Missouri Master Naturalist Program, the members of which are all graduates of the Missouri Master Naturalist Program. This community-based natural resource education and volunteer service program, sponsored by the … Continue reading →

Posted in [No taxon] | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Two endemic Jamaican jewel beetles: one known, one not?

Posted on December 11, 2014 by Ted C. MacRae

I recently received a batch of jewel beetles from Enrico Ruzzier of Italy. It was an impressive sending (as is any sending of jewel beetles!) collected from diverse parts of the world, but what really caught my eye were two specimens he … Continue reading →

Posted in Buprestidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment