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.

Brazil Bugs #4 – Mais dos percevejos

Posted on January 25, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

I found mais dos percevejos (more of the leaf-footed bugs) on the still-unnamed pink flowering shrub in back of the hotel in Campinas, Brazil.  Not only am I convinced that they truly do belong to the family Coreidae (for the reasons mentioned in … Continue reading →

Posted in Coreidae, Hemiptera | Tagged , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

Brazil Bugs #3 – Gorgulho Enorme!

Posted on January 23, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

The second night at the hotel on the outskirts of Campinas (São Paulo, Brazil), I found this enormous weevil laying on the ground underneath some windows.  It was dead but completely relaxed and in perfect shape.  I wondered if it … Continue reading →

Posted in Coleoptera, Curculionidae | Tagged , , , , , , , | 20 Comments

Brazil Bugs #2

Posted on January 22, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

A few more photographs from this past week in Campinas, Brazil.  It rained during the afternoon but stopped by the time I arrived back at the hotel, allowing me to stroll the lavishly landscaped grounds during the mild evening hours.  There … Continue reading →

Posted in Cicadidae, Coccinelidae, Coleoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae, Sarcophagidae, Vespidae | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

Rain Over Campinas, Brazil

Posted on January 21, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

It has rained every day in Campinas, Brazil since I arrived here earlier this week.  Clear morning skies give way to towering cumulus clouds as the heat and humidity build, releasing their torrents by mid afternoon.  Today brought a small … Continue reading →

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

Rush skeletonplant pea gall wasp

Posted on January 20, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

The Loess Hills landform along the western edge of Iowa and extreme northwestern Missouri is home to a unique assemblage of plants and animals.  The majority of these are associated with loess hilltop prairies – grassland remnants that have their origins in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Asteraceae, Cynipidae, Hymenoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Brazil Bugs #1

Posted on January 19, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

ID Challenge #3 update: I knew this would be a hard one, and so far nobody has figured this one out (only one commenter got the right order!).  I’ve released the comments gotten so far so you can see where things stand, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Coreidae, Hemiptera, Lepidoptera, Noctuidae | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

ID Challenge #3

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

A straight-up identification challenge – see ID Challenge #2 for a detailed explanation of the rules: Photograph taken June 27, 2010 in northwestern Missouri.  Good luck! Copyright © Ted C. MacRae 2011

Posted in [No taxon] | Tagged , , , | 23 Comments

Calm waters, frenzied beetles

Posted on January 16, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

The North Fork River in south-central Missouri, like most Ozark rivers and streams, flows clear and cold over gravelled bottoms. Sustained year-round by the numerous seeps and springs that result from the region’s unique Karst geology, it meanders through a mix of … Continue reading →

Posted in Coleoptera, Gyrinidae | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 20 Comments