Category Archives: Coleoptera

Beetles. The largest order of animals with more than 300,000 species in about 2000 genera.

How to pack and ship pinned insect specimens

Posted on November 1, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

Even though I don’t work in a museum, sending and receiving pinned insects is a routine activity for me. As a collector of beetles with some expertise in their identification, I’ve had opportunity to exchange with or provide IDs to … Continue reading →

Posted in Cerambycidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , | 50 Comments

GBCT Beetle #5: Crossidius coralinus monoensis

Posted on October 30, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

After spending the first four days of our Great Basin Collecting Trip (GBCT) traveling around west-central Nevada, we dropped down into California and traveled south next to the eastern flank of the Sierra Nevada towards Mono Basin. We had two goals … Continue reading →

Posted in Cerambycidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Festive Tiger Beetle in Southeast Missouri

Posted on October 25, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

This past spring I returned to the lowlands of southeastern Missouri in an effort to find and photograph a population of tiger beetles that seems to be unique to the area. The beetles represent Cicindela scutellaris (Festive Tiger Beetle), a widespread … Continue reading →

Posted in Cicindelidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

GBCT Beetle #4—Crossidius hirtipes rubrescens

Posted on October 20, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

Linsley & Chemsak (1961) characterize the longhorned beetle species Crossidius hirtipes as “probably the most diverse species within the genus.” Occurring throughout the Great Basin and adjacent areas, the variability it expresses in punctation, color, elytral pattern and pubescence have resulted in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Cerambycidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Just another ‘bug on white’

Posted on October 17, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

“White box” photography seems to have become quite popular for insects during the past couple of years, and what used to be a rarely used technique for photographing insects has become rather commonplace. It’s really not that hard to do—all … Continue reading →

Posted in Cicindelidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

ATTACK OF THE KILLER TIGER (beetle)!

Posted on October 9, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

Copyright © Ted C. MacRae 2013

Posted in Cicindelidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Under Blood Red Skies

Posted on October 8, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

At the start of my recent Great Basin collecting trip, I found myself presented with a rather unique and unanticipated photographic opportunity. As I landed in Reno, Nevada, the then 6-day old Rim Fire was already well on it’s way to … Continue reading →

Posted in Buprestidae, Cerambycidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

GBCT Beetle #3—Crossidius coralinus temprans

Posted on October 3, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

On Day 2 of our late August Great Basin Collecting Trip (GBCT), we headed east from Reno towards Fallon (Churchill Co.) and surrounding areas of western Nevada. Our quarry on this day was one of the spectacular Crossidius coralinus subspecies—in this case C. … Continue reading →

Posted in Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments