Category Archives: Buprestidae

Jewel Beetles, metallic woodboring beetles. About 15,000 species worldwide. Larvae are predominantly borers in trunks and branches of dead or dying woody plants, occasionally living plants are attacked. Some species form galls or mine leaves.

Sanctuary for the Betulaceae

Nestled on the eastern side of the St. Francois Mountains, where the craggy exposures of the Ozarks most ancient rocks begin to subside underneath the Cambrian sandstones laid down over them, lies Hawn State Park – considered by many to … Continue reading

Posted in Betulaceae, Buprestidae, Cerambycidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Christmas in January

One of the ironies about collecting insects is that the winter months can be just as busy as the summer months, sometimes more so. Despite the lack of insect activity during these short, cold days, I actually find myself at … Continue reading

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

Review of Calodema and Metaxymorpha

Insects are not only the most diverse group of animals in the world, they are also among the most beautiful.  Beetles, of course (with apologies to any lepidopterists that may be reading this), are responsible for a hefty slice of this … Continue reading

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Top Ten of 2008

For the first post of 2009, I begin with a look back at some of my favorite photos from 2008 (idea stolen from Alex Wild and others).  I initially hesitated to do a “best photos” post since I’m not really … Continue reading

Posted in Arachnida, Araneae, Asilidae, Asteraceae, Buprestidae, Cerambycidae, Cicindelidae, Coleoptera, Cupressaceae, Diptera, Onagraceae, Reptilia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Buppies in the bush(veld)

In writing an article for the most recent issue of SCARABS, I found myself reliving some long-dormant memories of my trip to South Africa. It was nine years ago right about this time of year when I made what was … Continue reading

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

“Dungers and Chafers – a Trip to South Africa”

Those of you who enjoy field trip accounts should check out the December 2008 issue of SCARABS. The lead article – authored by your’s truly – is a scarabcentric travelogue of an insect collecting trip I took to South Africa … Continue reading

Posted in Buprestidae, Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Two new species of Agrilus from Mexico

The enormous, cosmopolitan genus Agrilus (family Buprestidae – commonly called jewel beetles or metallic woodboring beetles) contains nearly 4,000 described species (Bellamy 2008). With many more still awaiting description, it is perhaps the largest genus in the entire animal kingdom … Continue reading

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

A new species of Xenorhipus from Baja California

A few months ago I discussed Trichinorhipis knulli of the tribe Xenorhipidini (family Buprestidae). Members of this tribe exhibit highly sexually dimorphic antennae, with the distal segments of the male antennae highly modified into a very extended flabellate or lamellate … Continue reading

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