Tag Archives: taxonomy

The one that got away!

Posted on August 16, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

It was disappointing to reach Black Mesa, the furthest west destination for my June collecting trip through northwestern Oklahoma, only to discover that the whole region was dry as a bone. I spent an hour or so sweeping yellow roadside … Continue reading →

Posted in Cerambycidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

“Rare jewel beetles discovered in Mexico by team of scientists!”

Posted on July 13, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

I hope you’ll excuse the hyperbolic title, but such has been my impression with some of the headlines I’ve seen recently in the popular media regarding newly described insect taxa in various parts of the world. The “discovery” of new species … Continue reading →

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

Cover photo for the June 2013 issue of The Coleopterists Bulletin

Posted on June 27, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

Did anybody think that weevil photograph on the cover of the June 2013 issue of The Coleopterists Bulletin (vol. 67, no. 2) looked familiar? If so, it’s  because you saw it first in my April 28, 2013 post, Giving me the weevil eye! This … Continue reading →

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

Giving me the weevil eye!

Posted on April 28, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

The order Coleoptera (beetles) is, of course, the largest single group of animals on earth, and by most accounts the Curculionidae (weevils) and their close relatives are the largest family-level group within the order. At 60,000 species and counting, weevils account … Continue reading →

Posted in Coleoptera, Curculionidae | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Group mimicry in Cerambycidae… and more

Posted on April 23, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

During last year’s extended visit to Argentina, I had the chance to spend the early part of April in the northern province of Chaco. Though much of this hot, arid plain has been converted to agriculture, remnants of thorn forest remain along … Continue reading →

Posted in Cerambycidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A jewel of a beetle

Posted on February 8, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

I really wish I had a photomicrography setup like the one that Sam Heads has at the University of Illinois for imaging preserved specimens. Alas, insect taxonomy is “just a hobby” for me, and any specimen photography I wish to do must … Continue reading →

Posted in Buprestidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Raining spit

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

Even though it was November (and thus spring in Argentina), conditions were already unusually dry—a portent of the worst drought that would hit Argentina in 70 years. Because of this, I found the occasional wet spot on the pavement as I … Continue reading →

Posted in Cercopidae, Hemiptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Texas Prick

Posted on January 29, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

Recently my friend Kent Fothergill launched a series of posts ranting about discussing the difficulties associated with common names. The inaugural post featured the insect I show here, Dectes texanus, a member of the family Cerambycidae (longhorned beetles) that has gained … Continue reading →

Posted in Cerambycidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , | 47 Comments