Category Archives: Insecta

Insects – Collembola, Protura, Diplura, Archaeognatha, Thysanura & Pterygota (winged insects).

Black is beautiful!

Posted on November 7, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

As much love as I give to tiger beetles, I tend to be just as indifferent to the non-cicindeline ground beetles. Why this is I don’t know; ground beetles sensu lato are super diverse taxonomically, morphologically, and ecologically, and the … Continue reading →

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

Gulf Fritillary in southern Missouri

Posted on November 5, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

I’m not sure, but I think this might be the first time I’ve photographed a butterfly caterpillar. Not a bad subject to start with, as few butterflies have caterpillars that are more colorful than the Gulf Fritillary, Agraulis vanillae. A common … Continue reading →

Posted in Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Life at 8X—hibiscus flea beetle

Posted on November 3, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

In mid-August I visited Route 66 State Park along the Meramec River in east-central Missouri to check stands of rosemallow (Hibiscus lasiocarpus) that I had previously noticed growing in the park for the presence of the stunning jewel beetle, Agrilus concinnus. … Continue reading →

Posted in Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Monster in the Night

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

Stumbling through mixed-grass prairie in the middle of the night can be a little unnerving. The headlamp illuminates nicely the path in front of you, but the area outside the tunnel of light is rendered even blacker. It is there where the … Continue reading →

Posted in Orthoptera, Romaleidae | 7 Comments

Beetle Collecting 101: How to pin a beetle

Posted on October 30, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

It has been a long time since I initiated my Beetle Collecting 101 series (more than two years!), and to date the first issue—Beetle Collecting 101: Dress for Success—remains the one and only lesson that I’ve posted. I really had intended … Continue reading →

Posted in Cerambycidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

The hardest EASIEST ID Challenge in like ever!

Posted on October 29, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

This is not only the hardest ID Challenge I have ever posted, it is probably the hardest one anyone has EVER posted. I’m not going to ask for order or family because they’re so easy. I will ask for the genus, … Continue reading →

Posted in Cerambycidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Why are this beetle’s elytra outstretched?

Posted on October 28, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

I’ve puzzled over the beetle in the above photo since I first saw it back in September on Day 2 of this year’s Annual Fall Tiger Beetle Trip. I encountered it on a dead branch of eastern red-cedar (Juniperus virginiana) on … Continue reading →

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

Frustrating Emerald

Posted on October 24, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

After years in the field looking for insects, one develops an eye not only for recognizing insects but also recognizing when something doesn’t look quite right. That happened to me early this past September at a spot along the Mississippi … Continue reading →

Posted in Geometridae, Lepidoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments