Tag Archives: behavior

Monday Ménage – Brachyleptura rubrica

This mating pair of longhorned beetles represents Brachyleptura rubrica, one of several so-called “flower longhorns” (including the rare Typocerus deceptus) that I saw on flowers of Hydrangea arborescens last June at Trail of Tears State Park in southeastern Missouri.  Flower … Continue reading

Posted in Cerambycidae | Tagged , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Ants invade Beetles in the Bush!

Discusses the origin and other insect relatives of ants, what ants carry with their famous ability to do so, and introduces some points about ants’ eating habits. Continue reading

Posted in Formicidae, Hymenoptera | Tagged , , , , , , | 18 Comments

Habitat Partitionining in Tiger Beetles

The latest issue of CICINDELA (December 2009, vol. 41, no. 4) contains an interesting paper by David A. Melius titled, “Post-monsoonal Cicindela of the Laguna del Perro region of New Mexico.” This paper continues a theme that I have touched … Continue reading

Posted in Cicindelidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 28 Comments

BitB Best of 2009

In my first post of 2009, I looked back at the photographs I had posted during 2008 and picked some of my personal favorites. I hesitated then to call myself a photographer (and still do), but I at least now … Continue reading

Posted in Apidae, Arachnida, Asilidae, Cicadidae, Cicindelidae, Coleoptera, Conopidae, Diapheromeridae, Diptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, Phasmida, Reptilia, Scorpiones | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 22 Comments

Tiger Beetles Agree—It’s Hot in Florida!

Florida is known for its rich assemblage of tiger beetles—27 species in all, including four endemics (Choate 2003).  However, late summer is generally considered not the best time of year for seeing this diversity, since adult populations of most species … Continue reading

Posted in Cicindelidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Florida Metallic Tiger Beetle

In my previous post, I showed some photographs of the larva of an undetermined species of tiger beetle that I collected from its burrow in dry ground adjacent to a coastal salt marsh near St. Petersburg, Florida. I had assumed … Continue reading

Posted in Cicindelidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 22 Comments

Anatomy of a Tiger Beetle Larva

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

North America’s most beautiful longhorned beetle

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