Tag Archives: nature

Hawn State Park – Winter Hiking at its Finest

Posted on February 14, 2010 by Ted C. MacRae

Two weekends ago we received another wave in what has been an unusually frequent series of snow events. I’m sure my northern (and Patagonian) friends are not impressed, but at our middlin’ latitudes snow falls rather infrequently and rarely sticks … Continue reading →

Posted in [No taxon] | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Aaack!-maeodera

Posted on February 11, 2010 by Ted C. MacRae

Warning: post contains hardcore, taxonomic, sciencey geekiness! Just as there is seasonality in the lives of insects, there is seasonality in the work of those who study them.  For the collector/taxonomist, everything revolves around the collecting season — time spent on … Continue reading →

Posted in Buprestidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 27 Comments

“Cicindelophilically”

Posted on February 8, 2010 by Ted C. MacRae

  My good friends Kent Fothergill and Kelly Tindall passed through St. Louis last week on their way back home from a visit to Columbia.  I was happy for the chance to get together with them – if only for … Continue reading →

Posted in Cicindelidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

Ants invade Beetles in the Bush!

Posted on February 5, 2010 by jtrager

Discusses the origin and other insect relatives of ants, what ants carry with their famous ability to do so, and introduces some points about ants’ eating habits. Continue reading →

Posted in Formicidae, Hymenoptera | Tagged , , , , , , | 18 Comments

BitB’s Newest Contributor

Posted on February 4, 2010 by Ted C. MacRae

Those of you who have followed this blog for any length of time have likely noticed fairly regular participation in the comments sections by one James C. Trager.  Occasionally irreverent and always articulate, his informed quips are among those that I have enjoyed … Continue reading →

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

Triple Quiz

Posted on January 29, 2010 by Ted C. MacRae

Entomology Quiz: Name the beetle. Botany Quiz: Name the plant. History Quiz: Name the location (yes, attentive readers will be able to deduce this). While you ponder these questions, please make note of two upcoming blog carnivals: Circus of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

A matter of diffusion

Posted on January 26, 2010 by Ted C. MacRae

In my Best of 2009 post, I mentioned four skills that, to me, seemed to be crucial for becoming a successful insect macrophotographer: 1) composition, 2) understanding lighting, 3) knowing how to use a flash, and 4) knowledge of the subject.  Of these, … Continue reading →

Posted in Cicindelidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Friday Flower: Crystallofolia (“Frost Flowers”)

Posted on January 22, 2010 by Ted C. MacRae

While hiking the middle stretch of the Ozark Trail’s Wappapello Section, my friend Rich and I witnessed a bounty of crystallofolia, or “frost flowers”.  These fragile, yet exquisite formations are, of course, not flowers at all, nor are they true … Continue reading →

Posted in Asteraceae, Lamiaceae | Tagged , , , , , , | 33 Comments