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.

Bruneau Sand Dune tiger beetles caught in the act!

Posted on August 17, 2010 by Ted C. MacRae

The newest issue of CICINDELA (“A quarterly journal devoted to Cicindelidae”) contains an interesting article by my good friend and fellow tiger beetle enthusiast Kent Fothergill, who presents a fascinating sequence of photos documenting a field encounter with a mating pair … Continue reading →

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

What’s so special about this beetle?

Posted on August 12, 2010 by Ted C. MacRae

Regular readers of this blog might recognize this as the swift tiger beetle, Cylindera celeripes. This tiny, flightless beetle was once common in the central Great Plains; however, the species has experienced dramatic declines over the past century due to near … Continue reading →

Posted in Cicindelidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 25 Comments

What’s more difficult to see…

Posted on August 9, 2010 by Ted C. MacRae

…than a Trimerotropis latifasciata (broad-banded grasshopper) adult on lichen-encrusted clay exposures? Answer: A T. latifasciata nymph on lichen-encrusted clay exposures. My thanks to David J. Ferguson for confirming my initial ID as a species of Trimerotropis and provisionally placing these individuals as T. … Continue reading →

Posted in Acrididae, Orthoptera | Tagged , , , , , | 20 Comments

Manduca vs. Amblycheila

Posted on August 6, 2010 by Ted C. MacRae

Which one do you think will win? Copyright © Ted C. MacRae 2010 Email to a friend

Posted in Cicindelidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

The marvelously monstrous Microstylum morosum

Posted on August 4, 2010 by Ted C. MacRae

A few weeks ago, while waiting to begin my nocturnal hunt for the Great Plains giant tiger beetle (Amblycheila cylindriformis) in northwestern Oklahoma, I spent the daytime atop one of the red flat-topped mesas that meander through the area in nearby Gloss Mountain State … Continue reading →

Posted in Asilidae, Diptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 26 Comments

Eastern Red-Bellied Tiger Beetle

Posted on August 2, 2010 by Ted C. MacRae

Last summer, while looking for North America’s most beautiful longhorned beetle in the dolomite glades of southwest Missouri’s White River Hills, I also came across good numbers of a tiger beetle species that I had previously considered rather uncommon in the … Continue reading →

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

Merci!

Posted on July 28, 2010 by Ted C. MacRae

Most of you have probably surmised by now that I’ve been away for the past two weeks.   More specifically, I’ve been in Europe following the Tour de France and testing my own mettle as a cyclist in the French … Continue reading →

Posted in [No taxon] | Tagged , , | 18 Comments

Six beetles Ted still needs for his collection

Posted on July 23, 2010 by Ted C. MacRae

Today’s guest blogger is longtime friend and insect collecting partner Rich Thoma. Rich and I first met nearly 30 years ago and have been collecting insects together ever since. Rich is a strong advocate for educating children about natural history … Continue reading →

Posted in [No taxon] | Tagged , , , , , | 9 Comments