Tag Archives: science

Red-eyed poop!

Posted on November 22, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

I was looking at some of my older files and ran across these photographs taken in early 2011 in Campinas (São Paulo state), Brazil. They’re not my best photos from a compositional and technical perspective, as I was still on … Continue reading →

Posted in Formicidae, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, Membracidae | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Hooray for iStock—I finally have an ID for my photo

Posted on November 20, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

I was all set to make a “One-Shot Wednesday” post today, but sometimes big news strikes and plans must change. The news today was in the form of a random tweet by Alex Wild: The link in the tweet led me … Continue reading →

Posted in Hemiptera, Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Pentatomidae | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

The “Dagger Butt Weevil”

Posted on November 18, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

In April 2012 I spent some time in northern Argentina collecting insects, and while collecting was not that great (late in the season after a protracted drought) I saw enough of interest to make it a worthwhile effort. Among the … Continue reading →

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

Sunday scarab: Phileurus valgus

Posted on November 17, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

Few beetles enjoy more popularity than the scarabs (family Scarabaeidae)¹, and within that group certainly the members of the subfamily Dynastinae are the most popular of all due to their often enormous size and presence of highly developed horns on … Continue reading →

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

Fire ant winged reproductives: male and female

Posted on November 15, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

While in Austin at the Entomological Society of America meetings, I had the chance to tour The University of Texas at Austin’s Brackenridge Field Laboratory.  Located on 82 acres of land bordering the Colorado River, the station supports studies in biodiversity, ecosystem change and natural … Continue reading →

Posted in Formicidae, Hymenoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

The Darwin Beetle

Posted on November 11, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

Like most modern biologists, Charles Darwin ranks high on my short list of intellectual/entomological heroes. Actually, with all due respect to others on the list—Carl Linnaeus, Alfred Russell Wallace, John Lawrence LeConte, and others, Darwin sits at #1. His theory … Continue reading →

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

Midget male meloid mates with mega mama

Posted on November 8, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

While looking for longhorned beetles in the genus Crossidius on flowers of yellow rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus) in southern Utah, I encountered one particular plant with numerous blister beetles (family Meloidae) on its blossoms. The orange color, two black pronotal spots, and distinctive black … Continue reading →

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

One-shot Wednesday: The “other” hibiscus jewel beetle

Posted on November 6, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

This past summer I visited Otter Slough Conservation Area in southeast Missouri in an effort to find and photograph the stunningly beautiful Agrilus concinnus Horn, or “hibiscus jewel beetle” (MacRae 2004). I was not successful in that quest, but I … Continue reading →

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