Tag Archives: jewel beetles

The perfectly polyphagous Chrysobothris purpureovittata

Posted on July 30, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

Many species of jewels beetles in North America are known for having some degree of host specificity. This is especially true of species in the genus Chrysobothris, whose members are often restricted to a particular family, genus, or even species of … Continue reading →

Posted in Buprestidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

The ever-increasing diversity of Oklahoma beetles

Posted on July 23, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

My idea to return to Oklahoma’s Gloss Mountains this spring actually began taking shape during last year’s fall visit to the area, when I found a single Chrysobothris octocola adult on a dead mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) branch. While common across the southwestern … Continue reading →

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

Agrilus fuscipennis on Persimmon

Posted on June 16, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

Agrilus fuscipennis may not be the largest or the prettiest member of the genus occurring in Missouri (that honor is reserved for Agrilus concinnus, or “hibiscus jewel beetle”—MacRae 2004). Nevertheless,  it comes pretty darned close! Add to that the fact that … Continue reading →

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

Oversized, double-concave diffuser for MT-24EX twin flash

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

This jewel beetle is, of course, Megaloxantha bicolor palawanica me beetle on several occasions while testing out different diffuser designs for my Canon MT-24EX twin flash unit. In the most recent one, I had tried combining SoftBoxes with my oversized concave … Continue reading →

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

A jewel of a beetle

Posted on February 8, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

I really wish I had a photomicrography setup like the one that Sam Heads has at the University of Illinois for imaging preserved specimens. Alas, insect taxonomy is “just a hobby” for me, and any specimen photography I wish to do must … Continue reading →

Posted in Buprestidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Backyard gems

Posted on February 4, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

I’ve been fortunate to have the chance to travel far and wide in my searches for insects—from the Gypsum Hills of the Great Plains and Sky Islands of the desert southwest to the subtropical riparian woodlands of the Lower Rio Grande … Continue reading →

Posted in Betulaceae, Buprestidae, Coleoptera, Cupressaceae, Orchidaceae | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Diffusion versus post-processing, or perhaps something even better?

Posted on January 31, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

One of the comments on my post Diffuser comparisons for 100mm macro lens was by Stephen Barlow, one of the original “concave diffuser” advocates, who claimed that the “dead” appearance of Photo #4 was an artifact of post-processing and not really a problem … Continue reading →

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

Diffuser comparisons for 100mm macro lens

Posted on January 12, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

I really wish I could just buy three Canon Speedlite 580EX II flash units, mount one directly on the camera, run the other two wirelessly on each side as slaves, put a nice big soft box diffuser on each of them, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Buprestidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , | 24 Comments