Tag Archives: insects

Sawfly larva – Periclista sp.

As I was photographing spring coralroot orchids in my front yard, I noticed a small green object clinging to the underside of one of the flowers.  Zooming in with the camera lens revealed the object to be a caterpillar, but this was no … Continue reading

Posted in Hymenoptera, Tenthredinidae | Tagged , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Super Crop Challenge #5

Here is the latest Super Crop Challenge – can you identify the structures and the organism (order, family, and genus) to which they belong?  Bonus points will be awarded for relevant supporting information, at my discretion.  Standard challenge rules apply, including … Continue reading

Posted in [No taxon] | Tagged , , , , , | 19 Comments

Dromochorus pruinina is not extirpated in Missouri… yet!

When Chris Brown and I began our study of Missouri tiger beetles back in 2000, our goal was simply to conduct a faunal survey of the species present in the state.  Such studies are fairly straightforward—examine specimens in the major … Continue reading

Posted in Cicindelidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Stink Bugs on Soybean in Argentina

Despite the natural history and taxonomic focus on beetles and other insects I have adopted for this blog, I am by day an agricultural research entomologist.  For the past 15 years soybean entomology has been my focus, and there is no better … Continue reading

Posted in Hemiptera, Pentatomidae | Tagged , , , , , | 17 Comments

Bichos Argentinos #13 – Spotted Maize Beetle

One of the most common insects encountered in agricultural fields in Argentina is Asylus atromaculatus (spotted maize beetle).  This native species can also be found further north in Bolivia and Brazil, and as implied by its common name it is frequently encountered in maize … Continue reading

Posted in Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

ID Challenge #8

It has been almost two months since the last ID Challenge and more than a month since the last challenge of any kind, thus it’s high time we kick off BitB Challenge Session #3.  This is a straight up identification challenge: 2 … Continue reading

Posted in [No taxon] | Tagged , , , , | 15 Comments

Bichos Argentinos #12 – Lace Bugs

Shortly after entering La Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur (Buenos Aires, Argentina) during my early March visit, I noticed a fairly large patch of solanaceous-looking shrubs.  Even from a distance, I could see patterns of white stippling on the foliage immediately identifiable as signs of lace bugs, true … Continue reading

Posted in Hemiptera, Tingidae | Tagged , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Big, Bold, and Beautiful

Last fall I took my younger daughter to the Al Foster Trail on the western side of Castlewood State Park, just a few miles down the road from my house.  As we walked the trail through typical bottomland forest next … Continue reading

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