Tag Archives: immatures

North America’s most beautiful longhorned beetle

Posted on September 28, 2009 by Ted C. MacRae

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

Do the Doodlebug Flip

Posted on May 25, 2009 by Ted C. MacRae

I’ve been on a doodlebug kick ever since I finally figured out how to find the little buggers on my trip down to southeast Missouri.  I even found one in one of the tiger beetle terraria that I setup with native … Continue reading →

Posted in Myrmeleontidae, Neuroptera | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Tiger Beetle Rearing

Posted on May 20, 2009 by Ted C. MacRae

I recently found an interesting website called Tiger Beetle Rearing.  This website by doctoral candidate Rodger Gwiazdowski in the Joseph S. Elkinton lab, University of Massachusetts, Amherst contains a wealth of information and photographs covering equipment, techniques, and methods for rearing … Continue reading →

Posted in Cicindelidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 33 Comments

Now you see me…

Posted on May 11, 2009 by Ted C. MacRae

…now you don’t! In a previous post, I lamented the fact that I had never actually seen a live antlion larva, or doodlebug (family Myrmeleontidae). Lovers of sand, I’ve seen their famous pitfall traps many times, especially in recent years as I’ve … Continue reading →

Posted in Myrmeleontidae, Neuroptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Body Invaders

Posted on May 9, 2009 by Ted C. MacRae

In keeping with the parasitic theme I established in my last two posts, I happened upon this brief video promotion for a National Geographic special called In the Womb: Extreme Animals which will air this Sunday (May 10). The video … Continue reading →

Posted in Braconidae, Hymenoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Newly emerged rabbit bot fly

Posted on May 8, 2009 by Ted C. MacRae

First things first – congratulations to Mark Deering (Sophia Sachs Butterfly House, right here in St. Louis) and Rod Rood (Washington State University) for correctly identifying yesterday’s “What the heck?” as the cast puparium of an oestrid bot fly.  Mark eventually staked his claim … Continue reading →

Posted in Diptera, Oestridae | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Wednesday “What the heck?”

Posted on May 6, 2009 by Ted C. MacRae

This might be the hardest nature quiz ever – I don’t think I would’ve ever figured out what this was had I not found what I did next to it.  I found it on my recent trip to look for … Continue reading →

Posted in Diptera, Oestridae | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 39 Comments

Bon appétit!

Posted on April 30, 2009 by Ted C. MacRae

I collected this larva in northwest Nebraska during last year’s Fall Tiger Beetle Trip.  I collected an adult Cicindela lengi (blowout tiger beetle) at the spot – a species that greatly resembles but is much less common than the ubiquitous C. formosa … Continue reading →

Posted in Cicindelidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments