Tag Archives: immatures

North America’s largest tiger beetle (I think!)

The generous among us might call it serendipity, while the rest of us would just call it luck.  By whatever name, I had it in spades in June last year when I made my first visit to the Glass Mountains of … Continue reading

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

Cylindera celeripes Larva Revealed

In a recent post, I provided the first ever glimpse of the previously unknown larva of Cylindera celeripes, or swift tiger beetle.  This little-known flightless species is among the tiniest in North America (adults measure only 8 or 9 mm … Continue reading

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Hello World!

These are two of the Cylindera celeripes (swift tiger beetle) larvae that I’m rearing.  Note: nobody has ever reared this species before!  Nobody has ever even seen its larvae (before now, that is). These larvae hatched from eggs that were … Continue reading

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Lampetis drummondi larva?

Back in February, I learned that Mark Volkovitsh (Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Science, St. Petersburg) would be visiting Chuck Bellamy (California Department of Food and Agriculture) in Sacramento the very week that I was planning to be in Lake Tahoe. … Continue reading

Posted in Buprestidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , | 21 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

A “Really” Big-headed Tiger Beetle

In my recent summary of the latest issue of the journal Cicindela, I included a scan of the cover of that issue and its stunning image of the 3rd-instar larva of Megacephala megacephala¹ from Africa.  This otherwordly-looking, four-eyed beast was photographed with jaws agape … Continue reading

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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