Tag Archives: longhorned beetles

Q: How do you photograph cactus beetles?

Posted on November 24, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

A: Very carefully! This past June I went out to one of my favorite spots in northwestern Oklahoma—Alabaster Caverns State Park in Woodward Co. The park, of course, is best known for its alabaster gypsum cavern—one of the largest such in … Continue reading →

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

GBCT Beetle #4—Crossidius hirtipes rubrescens

Posted on October 20, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

Linsley & Chemsak (1961) characterize the longhorned beetle species Crossidius hirtipes as “probably the most diverse species within the genus.” Occurring throughout the Great Basin and adjacent areas, the variability it expresses in punctation, color, elytral pattern and pubescence have resulted in the … Continue reading →

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

Under Blood Red Skies

Posted on October 8, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

At the start of my recent Great Basin collecting trip, I found myself presented with a rather unique and unanticipated photographic opportunity. As I landed in Reno, Nevada, the then 6-day old Rim Fire was already well on it’s way to … Continue reading →

Posted in Buprestidae, Cerambycidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

GBCT Beetle #3—Crossidius coralinus temprans

Posted on October 3, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

On Day 2 of our late August Great Basin Collecting Trip (GBCT), we headed east from Reno towards Fallon (Churchill Co.) and surrounding areas of western Nevada. Our quarry on this day was one of the spectacular Crossidius coralinus subspecies—in this case C. … Continue reading →

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

GBCT Beetle #1: Crossidius hirtipes immaculatus

Posted on September 21, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

In my recent Great Basin Collecting Trip (GBCT) overview, I provided some general comments about the longhorned beetles in the genus Crossidius that were the focus of the trip and, in many cases, photographs of the habitats in which the beetles were … Continue reading →

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

Great Basin Collecting Trip iReport

Posted on September 17, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

During the last week of August, I teamed up with fellow longhorned beetle enthusiast Jeff Huether to look for species in the genus Crossidius. This exclusively North American genus contains a number of colorful species in the tribe Trachyderini that are associated … Continue reading →

Posted in Asteraceae, Cerambycidae, Coleoptera, Reptilia, Vertebrata | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Arizona collectors: Have you seen this beetle?

Posted on September 15, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

If you are a collector of beetles in Arizona, you should be on the lookout for longhorned beetles (family Cerambycidae) resembling the specimen in the above photos. Determined as Placoschema dimorpha Chemsak & Hovore, in Eya 2010 by Jeff Huether, the specimen … Continue reading →

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

The one that got away!

Posted on August 16, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

It was disappointing to reach Black Mesa, the furthest west destination for my June collecting trip through northwestern Oklahoma, only to discover that the whole region was dry as a bone. I spent an hour or so sweeping yellow roadside … Continue reading →

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