Tag Archives: nature

Beetle botanists

Posted on June 14, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

While Dicerca pugionata (family Buprestidae) is, for me, the most exciting beetle species that I’ve found in Missouri associated with ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius). it is not the only one. The beetles in these photographs represent Calligrapha spiraeae, the ninebark leaf beetle (family Chrysomelidae). Unlike … Continue reading →

Posted in Chrysomelidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Damon diadema—Tanzanian giant tailless whip scorpion

Posted on June 12, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

I’ve reared more than my share of arthropods over the years—from easy ones like Madagascan hissing cockroaches to hard ones like certain tiger beetles (in fact, I’m the only person to have ever seen the larva of Cylindera celeripes, much … Continue reading →

Posted in Amblipygi, Arachnida | Tagged , , , , , , | 21 Comments

Welcome “Baby Damon”!

Posted on June 10, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

Just a quick post to formally introduce “Baby Damon,” who arrived last Friday with several siblings courtesy of my friend Martin Hauser in California. Damon represents the species Damon diadema, or the Tanzanian giant tailless whip scorpion. It will take … Continue reading →

Posted in Amblipygi, Arachnida | Tagged , , , , , | 9 Comments

Poised for the bounty

Posted on June 7, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

By mid-April I was near the end of my 8-week stay in Argentina. One of the more enjoyable tasks during this time was to go back out and visit some of the soybean fields that I had seen earlier in … Continue reading →

Posted in Arachnida, Araneae | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Just published: Cicindela 44(1) March 2012

Posted on June 3, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

Issue 44(1) of the journal Cicindela is now hitting mailboxes. This one-paper issue features an article by Chandima D. Dangalle and Nirmalie Pallewatta (University of Colombo, Sri Lanka) and Alfred P. Vogler (The Natural History Museum, London) reporting the results of a survey of tiger … Continue reading →

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

Dicerca pugionata – safe and sound!

Posted on June 1, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

One of my favorite beetle species in Missouri is Dicerca pugionata—a strikingly beautiful jewel beetle (family Buprestidae) found sporadically across the eastern U.S. Unlike most species in the genus, which breed in dead wood of various species of trees, D. pugionata … Continue reading →

Posted in Buprestidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , | 19 Comments

Cosmetid harvestman with parasitic/phoretic mites in Argentina

Posted on May 30, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

While searching logpiles last month in a relatively intact tract “Selva Paranaense” near Paso de la Patria (Corrientes Prov., Argentina), the most interesting find for me was Desmiphora hirticollis, a bizarre longhorned beetle that is either amazingly cryptic or a curious mimic (I … Continue reading →

Posted in Arachnida, Opiliones | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Holy conglobulation, Batman!

Posted on May 27, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

Earlier this month I made a quick trip out to California to see my good friend Chuck Bellamy receive his Honorary Membership in The Coleopterist Society. While I was there, I got a chance to spend some time with Chuck’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Blaberidae, Blattodea, Dictyoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , | 24 Comments