Tag Archives: science

Brazil Bugs #16 – Royal Moth Larva

Posted on June 22, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

I was sure Super Crop Challenge #6 would be a win for the house, but Troy Bartlett scored an impressive points sweep by correctly deducing that the structures shown were the spines of an early instar caterpillar of “something akin … Continue reading →

Posted in Lepidoptera, Saturniidae | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Super Crop Challenge #6

Posted on June 20, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

I thought I had everyone stumped in Super Crop Challenge #5, but Dave took advantage of the extended answer period and cracked the code for a solo win and the lead in the current session.  For this edition of Super … Continue reading →

Posted in [No taxon] | Tagged , , , , , | 17 Comments

Forgotten Foto Friday: Eudioctria sp.

Posted on June 17, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

In keeping with my recent theme featuring insects from Shaw Nature Reserve, I present here a long-forgotten photograph that I took back in May 2009.  In fact, not only was this photo taken on the maiden voyage of my Canon dSLR setup, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Asilidae, Diptera | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A Missouri hotspot for Cylindera unipunctata

Posted on June 15, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

Long before I began studying tiger beetles in earnest, I became aware of one of Missouri’s more interesting species—Cylindera unipunctata (one-spotted tiger beetle).  One of my favorite woodboring beetle collecting spots back in the 1980s was Pinewoods Lake Recreation Area near … Continue reading →

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

Predator Satiation

Posted on June 13, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

I’ve probably used the term predator satiation more often during the past couple of weeks than I have during the entire rest of my life.  Students of ecology know this as an antipredator adaptation in which prey occur at such high population … Continue reading →

Posted in Cicadidae, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, Vespidae | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 25 Comments

Do you think I’m tasty?

Posted on June 11, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

As I hiked the upper stretch of the Shut-Ins Trail at Sam A. Baker State Park in southeastern Missouri, I encountered this 2-inch long millipede slowly making its way across the rocks.  Many millipedes, of course, produce hydrogen cyanide (HCN) as their primary method … Continue reading →

Posted in Diplopoda, Polydesmida | Tagged , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Pardalophora phoenicoptera – Orange-winged grasshopper

Posted on June 7, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

For some reason, I’ve found myself increasingly fascinated with certain grasshoppers—not just any grasshoppers, but band-winged grasshoppers (family Acrididae, subfamily Oedepodinae).  And not just band-winged grasshoppers, but band-winged grasshopper nymphs.  It began last year when I found adults and nymphs … Continue reading →

Posted in Acrididae, Orthoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

They’re baaaaack… finally!

Posted on June 5, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

For almost a month I waited—waited for that spaceship-sounding drone from the trees; waited for their bodies to drip from the vegetation and their skins to litter the yard; waited for their delightful shrieks every time I jostle a tree … Continue reading →

Posted in Cicadidae, Hemiptera | Tagged , , , , , | 21 Comments