Tag Archives: entomology

Bichos Argentinos #3 – “Bicho Torito”

In her appeal for submissions for her upcoming issue of An Inordinate Fondness, Susannah lamented the paucity of beetles in the closing weeks of her northern winter and mentioned in passing that even I had gone more than a week … Continue reading

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

Bichos Argentinos #2 – Pseudomyrmex sp.

One of the insects I tracked at La Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur in Buenos Aires, Argentina last weekend was this twig ant in the genus Pseudomyrmex.  I had noticed these slender, wasp-like ants previously on trips to the U.S. desert southwest, but … Continue reading

Posted in Formicidae, Hymenoptera | Tagged , , , , , | 12 Comments

Bichos Argentinos #1 – Eristalinus taeniops

It figures that perhaps the most striking insect I saw at La Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur in Buenos Aires, Argentina would be an introduced species, as the area itself is a man-made reconstruction of the wet Pampas grasslands endemic to coastal areas of the … Continue reading

Posted in Diptera, Syrphidae | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

North America’s largest scarab beetle

As one of North America’s largest, most written about, and most photographed beetles, Dynastes tityus (eastern Hercules beetle) hardly needs an introduction.  I photographed this male specimen from my collection back in December while testing my DIY diffuser for the MT-24EX … Continue reading

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

Brazil Bugs #15 – Formiga-membracídeos mutualismo

Of the several insect groups that I most wanted to see and photograph during my trip to Brazil a few weeks ago, treehoppers were near the top of the list.  To say that treehoppers are diverse in the Neotropics is … Continue reading

Posted in Formicidae, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, Membracidae | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 49 Comments

Monday Moth – Polka-dot Wasp Moth

It’s been a while since I’ve done a Monday Moth post, so I thought I’d feature one of the prettier specimens in my very limited Lepidoptera collection.  This is Syntomeida epilais (polka-dot wasp moth), one of four species in the genus that … Continue reading

Posted in Arctiidae, Erebidae, Lepidoptera, Noctuidae | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Brazil Bugs #14 – Fusquinha

Despite their hyperdiversity, leaf beetles (family Chrysomelidae) as a group are for the most part among the most easily recognized of all beetle families, and within the family none are more recognizable than the tortoise beetles (subfamily Cassidinae).  Named for … Continue reading

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

Frenatae 2011 Calendar

Even though we’re now in the latter part of February, I wanted to spread the word about a cool insect-themed calendar shown to me by a colleague during my recent trip to Brazil. Produced by Frenatae, the Graduate Student Entomology … Continue reading

Posted in Coleoptera, Diptera, Scarabaeidae, Tabanidae, Zopheridae | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments