Category Archives: Arthropoda

Arthropods – insects, arachnids, crustaceans, myriapods, & relatives

Just repanda… er, wait a minute…

Posted on October 7, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

Update 10/7/12, 10:41 a.m.—Thanks to Ben Coulter, who pointed out my rather silly misidentification of these beetles that actually represent Cicindelidia ocellata rectilatera (Reticulated Tiger Beetle). I have only my failure to even consider the possibility of a southwestern species to … Continue reading →

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

Some recent publications

Posted on October 5, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

I’ve had a few papers published in recent months that may be of interest to some. After a string of papers in 2011 focused exclusively on tiger beetles (five in all), these latest three represent sort a return to my “roots”: taxonomy … Continue reading →

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

Wasp Wednesday—Not!

Posted on October 3, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

In early September, the agricultural landscape in the central U.S. awakens from its monotonous cloak of summer green and turns ablaze with a hundred shades of yellow, gold, and tawny. The “fall composites” as they are commonly called, a dazzling … Continue reading →

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

Consolation Crossidius

Posted on October 2, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

Rewind back to Day 2 of this year’s Annual Fall Tiger Beetle Trip at Gloss Mountain State Park in northwestern Oklahoma—these were actually the first non-Missouri beetles that I photographed on the trip. Crossidius pulchellus is a longhorned beetle (family Cerambycidae) that … Continue reading →

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

An uncommon fall-active Acmaeodera

Posted on September 30, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

During last week’s visit to Alabaster Caverns State Park in northeastern Oklahoma (Woodward Co.), I saw a fair number of jewel beetles (family Buprestidae) representing a then-unidentified species of Acmaeodera. All of the individuals that I saw were visiting flowers of … Continue reading →

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

Photographing the Limestone Tiger Beetle

Posted on September 28, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

Seeing and photographing the beautifully black Prairie Tiger Beetles (Cicindelidia obsoleta vulturina) in southwestern Oklahoma was a lot of fun, but by Day 5 I was ready to look for one of my top goals for the trip—Cicindelidia politula (Limestone Tiger Beetle). Occurring primarily in Texas (but … Continue reading →

Posted in Cicindelidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Sneak Peek

Posted on September 27, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

Here’s a sneak peek at the critter that will be featured in tomorrow’s post. Any ideas? Hint: this is the first insect I’ve featured from the state in which it lives. Copyright © Ted C. MacRae 2012

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

Inchworm, Inchworm, Oh So Small

Posted on September 26, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

Okay, I know this is not a real “inchworm” (generally restricted to caterpillars in the family Geometridae), but this young larva of a soybean looper (Chrysodeixis includens, family Noctuidae) is just too cute to not have an equally cute name. I believe it is … Continue reading →

Posted in Lepidoptera, Noctuidae | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment