Tag Archives: nature

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

Posted on December 4, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

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

Zygogramma Desmogramma leaf beetles in Argentina

Posted on November 27, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

The east end of La Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur in Buenos Aires offers a quiet contrast to the more populated central and western areas. Few people leave the levee-trail system that surrounds the famous wetlands and pampas grass stands in those latter areas; however, those that … Continue reading →

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

Return to La Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur

Posted on November 20, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

Last March I discovered La Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur—a gem of natural beauty in the heart of Buenos Aires, Argentina.  Though its origins are semi-artificial, its biota a mix of native and introduced species, and its pathways continually choked with pedestrians and … Continue reading →

Posted in Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Melyridae, Nymphalidae | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

“Sunflower looper” – Rachiplusia nu

Posted on November 13, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

With a planted area approaching 20 million hectares, soybean has become Argentina’s most important agricultural crop.  Most of the planted area is located within the so-called “Humid Pampas” region of central Argentina (Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Santa Fe and Entre Rios … Continue reading →

Posted in Lepidoptera, Noctuidae | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

ID Challenge #14

Posted on November 10, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

I’ll be leaving soon for another trip to Argentina.  While the process of traveling to the Land of Gauchos (and back) is exhausting, I adore Argentina and look forward to my visits there with great anticipation.  In celebration of my pending … Continue reading →

Posted in [No taxon] | Tagged , , , | 38 Comments

A Brazilian longhorned beetle – Oxymerus aculeatus

Posted on November 7, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

I was going through photographs from my visit to Brazil this past January and came across this forgotten photo of a longhorned beetle taken near Campinas in São Paulo.  Although I didn’t recognize the genus immediately, I was rather sure … Continue reading →

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

Cicindela albissima—The Coral Pink Sand Dunes Tiger Beetle

Posted on November 3, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

The week had started off good, with three species of western sand dune endemic tiger beetles (Cicindela formosa gibsoni, C. scutellaris yampae, and C. arenicola) and a variety of sometimes spectacular Crossidius longhorned beeltes having been encountered.  Mid-week, however, had brought a lull in our … Continue reading →

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

St. Anthony Dune Tiger Beetle

Posted on October 26, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

After kicking off the 2011 fall tiger beetle trip by finding Cicindela formosa gibsoni and C. scutellaris yampae in the Yampa Valley sand dunes in northwestern Colorado, I was even more optimistic about my chances of seeing the main goals of the trip—the four C. … Continue reading →

Posted in Cicindelidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments