Tag Archives: taxonomy

MacRae Entomology Museum Expansion

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

Every five years or so I find myself facing the same dilemma—too many bugs and not enough space to keep them. Each time this occurs, I go through the same thought process trying to decide the best way to solve … Continue reading →

Posted in Cicindelidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , | 30 Comments

A Living Jewel – Madecassia rothschildi

Posted on January 31, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

In North America, beetles in the family Buprestidae are commonly referred to as “metallic woodboring beetles.” This may be a perfectly adequate name—accurate and descriptive, but it’s also a bit dry and not terribly imaginative. Personally, I much prefer the moniker given to these beetles by … Continue reading →

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

“My peripatetic quest for North America’s rarest tiger beetles”

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

This week I gave a presentation on my latest Annual Fall Tiger Beetle Trip to the Entomology Group of the Webster Groves Nature Study Society. With the exception of a brief 5 year period in the early 1990s while I lived in … Continue reading →

Posted in [No taxon] | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Memories of summer – Neoclytus scutellaris

Posted on January 15, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

During the short, cold days of winter it’s nice to take a break from the curatorial activities that dominate the season and look back on some of the insects seen during the previous summer. This is Neoclytus scutellaris, a longhorned … Continue reading →

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

Something for Adrian

Posted on January 14, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

In a comment on my Buprestidae exchange post, Adrian Thysse asked to see hi-res images of specimen drawers from my own collection. Like any good North American entomologist, Adrian was a little bothered by the card-mounting technique used by the sender of the specimen … Continue reading →

Posted in Cerambycidae, Coleoptera | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

Buprestidae exchange

Posted on January 9, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

With my queue of specimen identifications now clear, I can turn my attention to another major backlog that I haven’t been able to give proper attention recently—exchanges. For those of you not into insect collecting, exchanging is something that most … Continue reading →

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

Extreme sexual dimorphism in Buprestidae: Xenorhipis hidalgoensis

Posted on January 8, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

Yesterday I received in the mail a package of specimens for identification from Dan Heffern in Houston, Texas. I first began corresponding with Dan about 25 years ago—not long after I myself became interested in Coleoptera, and as an avid collector of longhorned … Continue reading →

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

2,171 pieces of chitin…

Posted on January 4, 2012 by Ted C. MacRae

There are many reasons to look forward to the Holiday Season—time with family and friends, a break from the normal routine, the chance to engage in favorite activities leisure and otherwise, or maybe just kick back and not do much … Continue reading →

Posted in [No taxon] | Tagged , , , , , | 12 Comments