Tag Archives: insects

“Dungers and Chafers – a Trip to South Africa”

Posted on December 3, 2008 by Ted C. MacRae

Those of you who enjoy field trip accounts should check out the December 2008 issue of SCARABS. The lead article – authored by your’s truly – is a scarabcentric travelogue of an insect collecting trip I took to South Africa … Continue reading →

Posted in Buprestidae, Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Two new species of Agrilus from Mexico

Posted on November 28, 2008 by Ted C. MacRae

The enormous, cosmopolitan genus Agrilus (family Buprestidae – commonly called jewel beetles or metallic woodboring beetles) contains nearly 4,000 described species (Bellamy 2008). With many more still awaiting description, it is perhaps the largest genus in the entire animal kingdom … Continue reading →

Posted in Buprestidae, Coleoptera, Viscaceae | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

A new species of Xenorhipus from Baja California

Posted on November 17, 2008 by Ted C. MacRae

A few months ago I discussed Trichinorhipis knulli of the tribe Xenorhipidini (family Buprestidae). Members of this tribe exhibit highly sexually dimorphic antennae, with the distal segments of the male antennae highly modified into a very extended flabellate or lamellate … Continue reading →

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

Magnificently Monstrous Muscomorphs

Posted on November 11, 2008 by Ted C. MacRae

I suppose tiger beetles have gotten more than their fair share of attention here lately, so for this post I thought I’d highlight insects of a completely different group – flies! Admittedly, as a coleopterist, I tend to view flies … Continue reading →

Posted in Asilidae, Bombyliidae, Diptera, Mydidae | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Cicindela scutellaris lecontei x scutellaris unicolor intergrades in southeast Missouri

Posted on November 3, 2008 by Ted C. MacRae

Cicindela scutellaris (festive tiger beetle) is widely distributed in the U.S., having been recorded from most areas east of the Rocky Mountains except Appalachia, the lower Mississippi River delta, and south Florida. Within this range, the species occupies deep, dry … Continue reading →

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

A sand prairie autumn

Posted on October 27, 2008 by Ted C. MacRae

Ask any astronomer when autumn begins, and they will likely tell you it begins at the autumnal equinox – when shortening days and lengthening nights become equal as the sun crosses over the celestial equator. According to them, fall began … Continue reading →

Posted in Ascalaphidae, Asilidae, Cicindelidae, Coleoptera, Coreidae, Crabronidae, Diptera, Fabaceae, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, Myrmeleontidae, Neuroptera, Poaceae, Polygonaceae, Sphecidae | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

New species and a review of the genus Tragidion

Posted on October 23, 2008 by Ted C. MacRae

Species of Tragidion are among the larger and more attractive cerambycids in North America, making them popular among collectors. Their bright orange and black coloration clearly functions in mimicking spider wasps (family Pompilidae) in the genera Pepsis and Hemipepsis – … Continue reading →

Posted in Cerambycidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

It’s a girl!

Posted on October 15, 2008 by Ted C. MacRae

I’ve been interested in collecting insects since I was 10 years old, and my current collection dates back to spring semester 1978 when, after finally declaring a major, I kicked off my life as an entomologist with Entomology 101. I … Continue reading →

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