Tag Archives: taxonomy

Sometimes the best collecting…

Posted on December 14, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

As a practicing (albeit non-professional) taxonomist, I spend a goodly amount of time examining specimens collected not only by me, but by others as well. I’ve mentioned before the benefits of doing this—both to the collector, who gets names for the … Continue reading →

Posted in Buprestidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 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

“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

The Methocha

Posted on October 10, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

As pointed out in my recent post, Bee Fly Parasitism of Tetracha virginica, there is much to learn still regarding tiger beetle larval parasitoids. In addition to bee flies (order Diptera, family Bombyliidae) of the genus Anthrax, tiphiid wasps (order … Continue reading →

Posted in Cicindelidae, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Tiphiidae | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Cicindela formosa gibsoni… or not!

Posted on September 29, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

Last Friday I began the 2011 Annual Fall Tiger Beetle Trip™. This year’s edition was actually a last-minute change—my original plans to collect wood for rearing wood-boring beetles in south Texas thwarted by that state’s long and continuing drought (along … Continue reading →

Posted in Cicindelidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Two things I love about glades during fall…

Posted on September 20, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

…prairie dock (Silphium terebinthinaceum) in bloom… …and prairie tiger beetles (Cicindelidia obsoleta vulturina) on the prowl… On the last weekend of August I made another trip to the White River Hills of north-central Arkansas in a last gasp effort to … Continue reading →

Posted in Cicindelidae | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Mini-review of the Cicindelidia abdominalis species-group

Posted on September 14, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

Now that I have seen and photographed in the field all four species of the Cicindelidia abdominalis species-group, I thought some might find it useful to have a summary of each species with comparisons, photographs and a key to distinguish … Continue reading →

Posted in Cicindelidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Charming Couple revisited

Posted on August 27, 2011 by Ted C. MacRae

Another view of the mating pair of Ellipsoptera hamata lacerata (Gulf Coast Tiger Beetle) that I photographed in a small mangrove marsh in Seminole, Florida. These are actually among the first tiger beetles that I ever tried to photograph at … Continue reading →

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