Tag Archives: taxonomy

An elegant living fossil…

Posted on January 17, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

In the insect world, hyperdiversity is the norm. More than a million species are known, and perhaps several million more await discovery. Beetles alone represent nearly a quarter of the earth’s described biota, with one genus (Agrilus in the family Buprestidae) bursting at … Continue reading →

Posted in Hymenoptera, Pelecinidae | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Cicindela 44(3–4) is issued

Posted on January 15, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

The latest issue of the journal Cicindela arrived in my mailbox yesterday, and it’s safe to say that I’ve got the issue “covered.” The issue features three papers, one of which documents my recent encounter with Cicindelidia ocellata rectilatera (Reticulated Tiger Beetle) in Arkansas … Continue reading →

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It’s always a happy day…

Posted on January 10, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

…when the latest issue of The Coleopterists Bulletin arrives in my mailbox. On this occasion it was the December issue of Volume 66—nine papers and eight scientific notes filling 84 pages of beetle awesomeness. It’s pure elytral ecstasy! I presume I … Continue reading →

Posted in Buprestidae, Cerambycidae, Cicindelidae, Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Mr. Phidippus gets his loot

Posted on January 8, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

I’m sure by now Mr. Phidippus is wondering where his loot is. You see, some months ago Mr. Phidippus won BitB Challenge Session #5 with a solid string of 1st and 2nd place finishes in that session’s five ID and super crop … Continue reading →

Posted in Cicindelidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

The ultimate jaws on a longhorned beetle!

Posted on January 4, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

Some 23 years ago, I departed on my first ex-U.S. insect collecting trip. I was still a youngster—barely into my 30s—but had by then a well developed interest in woodboring beetles of the families Buprestidae and Cerambycidae. I had spent the previous … Continue reading →

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

Let’s make a deal!

Posted on January 2, 2013 by Ted C. MacRae

I recently conducted a complete reorganization of the jewel beetles (superfamily Buprestoidea) in my collection (TCMC). The primary purpose of this was to bring the nomenclature and arrangement of the collection into agreement with the recently published World Catalogue of … Continue reading →

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

The 2nd-oldest Known Myrmicine Ant

Posted on December 23, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

Among the 20 or so insects represented in the Green River Formation (GRF) fossils that I currently have on loan, this rather obvious ant (family Formicidae) is the only one that is firmly assignable to the order Hymenoptera (wasps, bees … Continue reading →

Posted in Formicidae, Hymenoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Eye to eye to eye to eye with a tiger beetle larva

Posted on December 17, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

After the past few years of hunting tiger beetles, I’ve learned not only how to find the larval burrows but—at least for most of the species occurring in Missouri—how to identify the larvae in the field. While conclusive identifications rely upon … Continue reading →

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