Category Archives: Coleoptera

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

Cicindela scutellaris yampae – Yampa Festive Tiger Beetle

Posted on October 1, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

In A Field Guide to the Tiger Beetles of the United States and Canada (Pearson et al. 2006), Cicindela scutellaris yampae (Yampa Festive Tiger Beetle) is one of 223 species and subspecies listed in the book’s index to species and subspecies. … Continue reading →

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Cicindela formosa gibsoni… or not!

Posted on September 29, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

Last Friday I began the 2011 Annual Fall Tiger Beetle Trip™. This year’s edition was actually a last-minute change—my original plans to collect wood for rearing wood-boring beetles in south Texas thwarted by that state’s long and continuing drought (along … Continue reading →

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A cicindelophilic wish list

Posted on September 23, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

Cicindelia obsoleta vulturina disjuncts bolting across lichen-covered sandstone balds. Cicindela scutellaris yampae—red, white and blue in all its glory! Big, bold, hugely white Cicindela formosa gibsoni bouncing across the sand. Cicindela arenicola dancing across the St. Anthony dunes. Hugely-mandibled male … Continue reading →

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Not all Florida tiger beetles are rare

Posted on September 22, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

I fear my recent series of posts from Florida might leave readers with the impression that all of that state’s tiger beetle species are rare endemics occurring in tiny remnants of relictual habitats and encountered only by the most intrepid collectors enduring the … Continue reading →

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Two things I love about glades during fall…

Posted on September 20, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

…prairie dock (Silphium terebinthinaceum) in bloom… …and prairie tiger beetles (Cicindelidia obsoleta vulturina) on the prowl… On the last weekend of August I made another trip to the White River Hills of north-central Arkansas in a last gasp effort to … Continue reading →

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Mini-review of the Cicindelidia abdominalis species-group

Posted on September 14, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

Now that I have seen and photographed in the field all four species of the Cicindelidia abdominalis species-group, I thought some might find it useful to have a summary of each species with comparisons, photographs and a key to distinguish … Continue reading →

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Return to Nowhere

Posted on September 12, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

Back to some hard-core, field natural history.  Two years ago, on my virgin experience at collecting tiger beetles in Florida, I visited a spot called “Road to Nowhere”¹ at the suggestion of North American Tiger Beetle Master Dave Brzoska.  He said … Continue reading →

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Another account of the recently rediscovered Cicindelidia floridana

Posted on September 11, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

Back in August I had the chance to see with my own eyes wild individuals of Cicindelidia floridana, a tiger beetle that had been recently rediscovered after being thought extinct for nearly a century.  Accompanying me during that trip were Chris … Continue reading →

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