Tag Archives: nature

Why are this beetle’s elytra outstretched?

Posted on October 28, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

I’ve puzzled over the beetle in the above photo since I first saw it back in September on Day 2 of this year’s Annual Fall Tiger Beetle Trip. I encountered it on a dead branch of eastern red-cedar (Juniperus virginiana) on … Continue reading →

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

Frustrating Emerald

Posted on October 24, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

After years in the field looking for insects, one develops an eye not only for recognizing insects but also recognizing when something doesn’t look quite right. That happened to me early this past September at a spot along the Mississippi … Continue reading →

Posted in Geometridae, Lepidoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

How to deal with a crappy photo of a beautiful beetle

Posted on October 23, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

One thing I’ve discovered after trying my hand at insect macrophotography for the past three years is that I take a lot more photos than I can possibly post. As a result, I tend to focus my efforts on more … Continue reading →

Posted in Cicindelidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

The “Other” Marvelously Monstrous Microstylum

Posted on October 21, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

A couple of years ago during the initial testing of my DIY diffuser, I pulled a selection of rather impressive insects from my collection and photographed them on a white background to see how effectively the diffuser worked with different types and … Continue reading →

Posted in Asilidae, Diptera | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

The Third of Florida’s Three Metallic Tiger Beetles

Posted on October 19, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

After three straight posts not about tiger beetles, I’m hoping readers will forgive my return to this fascinating group. The photos in this post represent Tetracha virginica (Virginia Metallic Tiger Beetle), the most widely distributed (at least in the U.S.) of … Continue reading →

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

A visit to the Dallas Arboretum

Posted on October 17, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

This post is a little different from my normal fare, so feel free to glance and move on (or if you like it, let me know that too). Earlier this week I traveled to Argentina, but along the way I … Continue reading →

Posted in [No taxon] | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Post processing—then and now

Posted on October 16, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

I recently happened upon one of my first attempts at post processing a photograph of a pinned insect specimen. The subject was Anomalipus elephas (large armoured darkling beetle), a tank of an insect (this example measuring 32 mm in length) belonging to the … Continue reading →

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

Life at 8X—Bandedwinged Whitefly

Posted on October 13, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

The world of minute insects can seem strange and even bizarre when compared to our relatively giant perspective. To the unaided human eye, this bandedwinged whitefly (Trialeurodes abutiloneus), measuring only 1 mm in length, looks like nothing more than a fleck of dandruff. … Continue reading →

Posted in Aleyrodidae, Hemiptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments