Tag Archives: insects

St. Anthony Dune Tiger Beetle

Posted on October 26, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

After kicking off the 2011 fall tiger beetle trip by finding Cicindela formosa gibsoni and C. scutellaris yampae in the Yampa Valley sand dunes in northwestern Colorado, I was even more optimistic about my chances of seeing the main goals of the trip—the four C. … Continue reading →

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

Lytta vulnerata cooperi

Posted on October 12, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

I had other quarry on my mind when I visited Idaho a couple of weeks ago, but I couldn’t help but pay attention to this blister beetle (family Meloidae) feeding on rabbit brush flowers for the following two reasons: 1) its spectacular and … Continue reading →

Posted in Coleoptera, Meloidae | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

The Methocha

Posted on October 10, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

As pointed out in my recent post, Bee Fly Parasitism of Tetracha virginica, there is much to learn still regarding tiger beetle larval parasitoids. In addition to bee flies (order Diptera, family Bombyliidae) of the genus Anthrax, tiphiid wasps (order … Continue reading →

Posted in Cicindelidae, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Tiphiidae | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Different Jaws for Different Jobs

Posted on October 7, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

If you’re interested in wood boring beetles and live in the eastern  U.S. like I do, you’re sure to encounter sooner or later the region’s sole¹ “primitive weevil” (family Brentidae), the oak timberworm (Arrhenodes minutus).  This beetle develops as a larva in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Brentidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , | 19 Comments

Ozark Landscapes – White River in northern Arkansas

Posted on October 6, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

One of my favorite insect collecting sites is a system of sandstone glades in the White River Hills of north-central Arkansas. Overlooking the White River as it courses past the quaint little town of Calico Rock, the glades atop these … Continue reading →

Posted in [No taxon] | Tagged , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Crossidius coralinus fulgidus

Posted on October 4, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

Tiger beetles may have been the primary focus of last week’s 9-day, 10-state, 4,700-mile collecting trip; however, they were not the only beetles I was hoping to see. Longhorned beetles (family Cerambycidae) of the genus Crossidius are unusual in the family … Continue reading →

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

Cicindela scutellaris yampae – Yampa Festive Tiger Beetle

Posted on October 1, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

In A Field Guide to the Tiger Beetles of the United States and Canada (Pearson et al. 2006), Cicindela scutellaris yampae (Yampa Festive Tiger Beetle) is one of 223 species and subspecies listed in the book’s index to species and subspecies. … Continue reading →

Posted in Cicindelidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Cicindela formosa gibsoni… or not!

Posted on September 29, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

Last Friday I began the 2011 Annual Fall Tiger Beetle Trip™. This year’s edition was actually a last-minute change—my original plans to collect wood for rearing wood-boring beetles in south Texas thwarted by that state’s long and continuing drought (along … Continue reading →

Posted in Cicindelidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , | 11 Comments