Tag Archives: entomology

Aaack!-maeodera

Warning: post contains hardcore, taxonomic, sciencey geekiness! Just as there is seasonality in the lives of insects, there is seasonality in the work of those who study them.  For the collector/taxonomist, everything revolves around the collecting season — time spent on … Continue reading

Posted in Buprestidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 27 Comments

“Cicindelophilically”

  My good friends Kent Fothergill and Kelly Tindall passed through St. Louis last week on their way back home from a visit to Columbia.  I was happy for the chance to get together with them – if only for … Continue reading

Posted in Cicindelidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , | 24 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

BitB’s Newest Contributor

Those of you who have followed this blog for any length of time have likely noticed fairly regular participation in the comments sections by one James C. Trager.  Occasionally irreverent and always articulate, his informed quips are among those that I have enjoyed … Continue reading

Posted in [No taxon] | Tagged , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Triple Quiz

Entomology Quiz: Name the beetle. Botany Quiz: Name the plant. History Quiz: Name the location (yes, attentive readers will be able to deduce this). While you ponder these questions, please make note of two upcoming blog carnivals: Circus of the … Continue reading

Posted in Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

A matter of diffusion

In my Best of 2009 post, I mentioned four skills that, to me, seemed to be crucial for becoming a successful insect macrophotographer: 1) composition, 2) understanding lighting, 3) knowing how to use a flash, and 4) knowledge of the subject.  Of these, … Continue reading

Posted in Cicindelidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Me and my buds!

Those of you who have followed this blog for any length of time have seen repeated references to my friends and colleagues, Chris Brown and Rich Thoma. Rich and I have been collecting insects together for almost 25 years now … Continue reading

Posted in Asilidae, Cicindelidae, Coleoptera, Diptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 10 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