Tag Archives: jewel beetles

Sometimes the best collecting…

As a practicing (albeit non-professional) taxonomist, I spend a goodly amount of time examining specimens collected not only by me, but by others as well. I’ve mentioned before the benefits of doing this—both to the collector, who gets names for the … Continue reading

Posted in Buprestidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

‘Beetles in the Bush’ T-Shirts now available!

I’ve mentioned before my preference for simple cotton t-shirts over fancy pocketed nylon shirts while I’m out in the field (see Beetle Collecting 101: Dress for Success). Lightweight and comfortable under even the most extreme conditions, they do the job cheaply … Continue reading

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

Lined Jewel Beetle

Here is another of the several wood-boring beetle species that I encountered during my June trips to the sandstone glade complex near Calico Rock in north-central Arkansas.  Shortleaf pines (Pinus echinata), the only native pine in this region, are common on … Continue reading

Posted in Buprestidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Agelia lordi (Walker)

This pretty little beetle is Agelia lordi (Walker), a member of the jewel beetle family Buprestidae. I received this meticulously curated specimen – collected in Kenya – in a recent exchange with Stanislav Prepsl (Czech Republic). The species is found … Continue reading

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

BitB Top 10 of 2010

Welcome to the 3rd Annual BitB Top 10, where I pick my 10 (more or less) favorite photographs of the year.  My goal for 2010 was to continue the progress that I began the previous year in my quest to become a bona … Continue reading

Posted in Arachnida, Araneae, Buprestidae, Cerambycidae, Chilopoda, Cicindelidae, Cleridae, Coleoptera, Hamamelidaceae, Lepidoptera, Plantae, Reptilia, Scolopendromorpha, Sesiidae, Vertebrata | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 38 Comments

A First Class Box of Beetles

Warning: post contains lots of hardcore, beetle-collector geekery! A few weeks ago I got an email from fellow buprestophile Henry Hespenheide (Professor Emeritus, UCLA) asking if I needed any specimens of Agrilus coxalis auroguttatus – recently dubbed the “goldspotted oak borer” after it was discovered damaging … Continue reading

Posted in Buprestidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 31 Comments

“Colorfull Cockroach” discovered in Panama

I won’t call this a taxonomy fail, since Patrick is clearly not a taxonomist, or even the first person to confuse a beetle with a cockroach.  Nevertheless, I was amused at Patrick’s amazement with the “colorfull cockroach” that he found … Continue reading

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

Special Delivery

Entomology is, of course, a wide and varied discipline that touches any number of human endeavors – from the practical (agriculture, food production, public health) to the esoteric (genetics, ecology, cultural symbolism).  Despite this far-reach, however, entomologists themselves are not … Continue reading

Posted in Buprestidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , | 34 Comments