Category Archives: Insecta

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

Anatomy of a Tiger Beetle Larva

Posted on October 22, 2009 by Ted C. MacRae

My first experience looking for tiger beetles in Florida had gone well.  Despite its small size and urban surroundings, the narrow strip of coastal scrub and saltwater marsh along the intracoastal waterway behind my sister-in-law’s condominium boasted a robust population of … Continue reading →

Posted in Cicindelidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

(My) Introduction to Florida Tiger Beetles

Posted on October 17, 2009 by Ted C. MacRae

On the last day of July, I hopped into my stuffed-to-the-brim SUV and began the +1000-mile drive to St. Petersburg, Florida.  I had with me my camera and my collecting gear, but also my bike, some beach wear… and my family!  No, … Continue reading →

Posted in Cicindelidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 26 Comments

Cold and wet

Posted on October 13, 2009 by Ted C. MacRae

The annual fall tiger beetle collecting trip is over, and nothing could be more emblematic of the trip than this cold, wet Cicindela splendida (literally translating to its well-deserved common name “Splendid Tiger Beetle”), found in the waning light of … Continue reading →

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

North America’s most beautiful longhorned beetle

Posted on September 28, 2009 by Ted C. MacRae

I’ve written a few posts in recent weeks highlighting some of the more interesting finds encountered during two visits this past July to the White River Hills region of extreme southwestern Missouri. It’s a land of extremes, with deeply dissected … Continue reading →

Posted in Cerambycidae, Coleoptera, Sapotaceae | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 34 Comments

Assassin ate

Posted on September 21, 2009 by Ted C. MacRae

I came upon this interesting scene last month while hiking through Allen David Broussard Catfish Creek Preserve State Park, which preserves some of the highest quality remnants of sand scrub habitat on the Lake Wales Ridge of central Florida. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Arachnida, Araneae, Hemiptera, Reduviidae | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 20 Comments

North America’s largest robber fly

Posted on September 17, 2009 by Ted C. MacRae

A few days ago, I featured Promachus hinei, one of the so-called “giant robber flies” and a common inhabitant of the glades and grasslands that dot Missouri’s largely forested landscape. That individual was seen at Long Bald Glade Natural Area … Continue reading →

Posted in Asilidae, Diptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 20 Comments

Prey bee mine

Posted on September 14, 2009 by Ted C. MacRae

Robber flies of the genus Promachus – the so-called “giant robber flies” – are among the more conspicuous and fearless predators seen in Missouri’s glades. Able to capture almost any flying insect regardless of size, this individual – seen at … Continue reading →

Posted in Apidae, Asilidae, Diptera, Hymenoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Ant-like Tiger Beetle

Posted on September 10, 2009 by Ted C. MacRae

One of the more recent of the 24 species of tiger beetles that we’ve collected in Missouri is Cylindera cursitans (Ant-like Tiger Beetle).  Although not yet formally recorded from the state, we’ve known about its occurrence here for some time … Continue reading →

Posted in Cicindelidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 23 Comments