Tag Archives: nature

One-shot Wednesday: swamp milkweed leaf beetle

Posted on September 3, 2014 by Ted C. MacRae

Technically this photograph of Labidomera clivicollis (swamp milkweed leaf beetle) doesn’t qualify as a “one-shot”, as I did take a few other shots as well. However, this was the only shot out of the handful that I didn’t throw away. It’s not … Continue reading →

Posted in Chrysomelidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

My, what busy palps you have!

Posted on September 2, 2014 by Ted C. MacRae

In mid- to late summer, the swamps of southeast Missouri and adjacent areas along the Mississippi River become awash in color as stands of hairy rose mallow (Hibiscus lasiocarpus) put forth their conspicuous, white and pink blooms. I’ve been waiting for the mallows to … Continue reading →

Posted in Gryllidae, Orthoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Digger wasps in action

Posted on August 26, 2014 by Ted C. MacRae

Here is an animated gif that I made from a series of photographs of the digger wasp, Bicyrtes quadrifasciatus (ID courtesy of Doug Yanega), digging a burrow in a sand bank in extreme southeastern Missouri (it’s amazing what you can do … Continue reading →

Posted in Crabronidae, Hymenoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Pretty, little, no-name spider

Posted on August 21, 2014 by Ted C. MacRae

I don’t like posting photographs of unidentified “bugs” (insects, spiders, etc.). There are times, however, when my best efforts are thwarted and I’m left with the choice to admit defeat or relegate the photos indefinitely to the “archives”. In this … Continue reading →

Posted in Arachnida, Araneae | Tagged , , , , | 12 Comments

Stag and “stagette” beetle

Posted on August 17, 2014 by Ted C. MacRae

Last month I posted some photos of the very “stag beetle-ish” looking longhorned beetle, Parandra polita. Chestnut brown in color with large, forward projecting mandibles, this member of the longhorned beetle subfamily Parandrinae looks almost nothing like longhorned beetles in other subfamilies but very … Continue reading →

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

The Buprestis tree

Posted on August 10, 2014 by Ted C. MacRae

After collecting Chrysobothris seminole at the type locality in Georgia and Chrysobothris orono the following day at South Cumberland State Park in Tennessee, I thought my trip last May with fellow buprestophiles Josh Basham and Nadeer Youseff was a complete success. I had … Continue reading →

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

Chrysobothris orono in Tennessee

Posted on July 29, 2014 by Ted C. MacRae

Some years ago, I sent a list of 47 species of Buprestidae for which I had records of occurrence in Tennessee to Joshua Basham, who had recently become interested in the family and wanted to develop a checklist for the state. One of the species on … Continue reading →

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

Big, black (and red), and beautiful!

Posted on July 18, 2014 by Ted C. MacRae

While I may have already declared Plinthocoelium suaveolens (bumelia borer) as North America’s most beautiful longhorned beetle, any short list of top candidates for this title must also include the species Crossidius coralinus. Like most other members of this strictly North American genus, these gorgeous beetles … Continue reading →

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