…an inordinate fondness for beetles!
It seems therefore that a taste for collecting beetles is some indication of future success in life!--Charles Darwin
I feel like an old war-horse at the sound of a trumpet when I read about the capture of rare beetles.--Charles Darwin
The Creator, if He exists, must have an inordinate fondness for beetles.--J. B. S. Haldane

Buy BitB apparel and gifts at CafePress.-
Ted C. MacRae is an agricultural research entomologist with "an inordinate fondness for beetles." Primary expertise includes taxonomy and host associations of wood-boring beetles, with more recent interest also in tiger beetle survey and conservation. I am currently serving as Managing Editor of the The Pan-Pacific Entomologist, Layout Editor for the journal Cicindela and Newsletter Editor for the Webster Groves Nature Study Society. Read my interview at Nature Blog Network, and visit me at these other sites:
Bikes Bugs and Bones
BugGuide
Facebook
Flickr
Research Blogging
Twitter
WikispeciesQuestions or comments? Send me an email.
Copyright Statement
All text and photos appearing on this website are © Ted C. MacRae, all rights reserved. See "Image Use Policy" below for details regarding conditions for allowed use.Commentaria Novae
-
Scripturae Novae
- Cicindela scutellaris rugata (the “wrinkled festive tiger beetle”)
- The “black bringer of light”
- Fun with eucraniines!
- 2015 Texas Collecting Trip iReport—Fall Tiger Beetles
- Super duper June bugs
- North America’s most recognizable longhorned beetle
- Beetle Collecting 101: Fermenting bait traps for collecting longhorned beetles
- North America’s most “extreme” jewel beetle
- Insect Identifications and Etiquette
- A suitable ode to Warren Knaus
Insecta Populus
- Biodiversity in Focus Blog The musings of entomology graduate student and nature photographer Morgan D. Jackson
- Bug Eric ….about anything related to insects, spiders, and other arthropods.
- BugTracks Bringing glory to Earth’s small and neglected creatures
- Crooked Beak Workshop musings from an entomological gadabout.
- Don't Forget the Roundabouts by Simon Leathers
- Dragonfly Woman's Blog A blog by an aquatic entomologist
- EntomologyToday The latest news about entomology, brought to you by the Entomological Society of America
- flyobsession …for those who live and breathe Dipterology
- Gil WIZEN Entomologist and Photographer
- Life Unseen …the art in nature
- Myrmecos Alex Wild on insects, science, and photography
- pterostichini and other entomological goodies
- Rove Beetle Musings
- SpiderBytes This blog is about spiders
- Splendor Awaits Bug photography, bug science, bug wonder.
- The Smaller Majority Piotr Naskrecki’s photo blog
- Up Close with Nature Kurt aka OrionMystery’s macro/nature photography blog
Peritorum
Nubis Themata
ants arachnids Argentina Arkansas beetles behavior blog carnivals blogging Botany Brazil Brazil Bugs bugs California chemical defenses Colorado conservation crypsis economic pests endangered species entomologists entomology family flies Florida forest geology glades Great Basin Great Plains habitat management herpetology Hiking humor ID challenge immatures insect collection insects introspection jewel beetles Lake Tahoe landscapes literature longhorned beetles mimicry Missouri moths nature Nebraska Nevada North America's most... Oklahoma Ozarks photography prairies predation predator avoidance quiz rearing reptiles scarabs science snakes South Africa soybean spiders Super Crop Challenge taxonomy techniques Texas tiger beetles trees true bugs warning coloration wasps wildflowersTaxa
- Arthropoda (662)
- Arachnida (48)
- Amblipygi (3)
- Araneae (36)
- Opiliones (5)
- Pseudoscorpiones (1)
- Scorpiones (3)
- Chilopoda (3)
- Crustacea (2)
- Diplopoda (5)
- Polydesmida (1)
- Polyxenida (1)
- Entognatha (1)
- Collembola (1)
- Insecta (624)
- Coleoptera (446)
- Anthribidae (2)
- Brentidae (1)
- Buprestidae (102)
- Cantharidae (1)
- Carabidae (5)
- Cerambycidae (93)
- Chrysomelidae (18)
- Cicindelidae (180)
- Cleridae (6)
- Coccinelidae (3)
- Curculionidae (13)
- Disteniidae (1)
- Elateridae (2)
- Geotrupidae (1)
- Gyrinidae (2)
- Lampyridae (4)
- Lucanidae (3)
- Lycidae (1)
- Lymexylidae (1)
- Meloidae (8)
- Melyridae (3)
- Passalidae (1)
- Ripiphoridae (1)
- Scarabaeidae (19)
- Schizopodidae (1)
- Silphidae (2)
- Tenebrionidae (11)
- Zopheridae (1)
- Collembola (1)
- Dictyoptera (6)
- Blattodea (4)
- Blaberidae (4)
- Mantodea (2)
- Mantidae (2)
- Blattodea (4)
- Diptera (51)
- Asilidae (19)
- Bombyliidae (7)
- Calliphoridae (2)
- Chionomidae (1)
- Chironomidae (1)
- Chloropidae (2)
- Conopidae (2)
- Drosophilidae (1)
- Milichiideae (2)
- Mycetophilidae (1)
- Mydidae (1)
- Oestridae (3)
- Platystomatidae (2)
- Psychodidae (1)
- Sarcophagidae (3)
- Sciaridae (1)
- Stratiomyidae (2)
- Syrphidae (4)
- Tabanidae (2)
- Tachinidae (2)
- Ephemeroptera (1)
- Hemiptera (58)
- Aetalionidae (2)
- Aleyrodidae (1)
- Aphididae (3)
- Cercopidae (1)
- Cicadellidae (2)
- Cicadidae (12)
- Coreidae (7)
- Cytocoridae (1)
- Flatidae (1)
- Fulgoridae (2)
- Gelastocoridae (1)
- Membracidae (11)
- Monophlebidae (1)
- Pentatomidae (7)
- Reduviidae (9)
- Tingidae (1)
- Hymenoptera (55)
- Apidae (4)
- Argidae (1)
- Braconidae (2)
- Crabronidae (7)
- Cynipidae (1)
- Dryinidae (1)
- Formicidae (23)
- Ichneumonidae (1)
- Mutillidae (5)
- Pelecinidae (1)
- Siricidae (2)
- Sphecidae (1)
- Tenthredinidae (1)
- Tiphiidae (1)
- Vespidae (4)
- Lepidoptera (43)
- Arctiidae (3)
- Danaidae (2)
- Erebidae (1)
- Geometridae (3)
- Hesperiidae (3)
- Incurvariidae (1)
- Lycaenidae (1)
- Noctuidae (16)
- Notodontidae (1)
- Nymphalidae (3)
- Papilionidae (1)
- Psychidae (2)
- Riodinidae (1)
- Saturniidae (4)
- Scythrididae (1)
- Sesiidae (4)
- Sphingidae (5)
- Zygaenidae (3)
- Mecoptera (1)
- Panorpidae (1)
- Neuroptera (8)
- Ascalaphidae (1)
- Chrysopidae (2)
- Corydalidae (2)
- Myrmeleontidae (4)
- Odonata (2)
- Aeschnidae (1)
- Libellulidae (1)
- Orthoptera (27)
- Acrididae (14)
- Anostostomatidae (1)
- Gryllidae (3)
- Gryllotalpidae (2)
- Proscopiidae (1)
- Romaleidae (1)
- Tetrigidae (1)
- Tettigoniidae (6)
- Phasmida (4)
- Diapheromeridae (3)
- Thysanoptera (1)
- Thripidae (1)
- Trichoptera (1)
- Philopotamidae (1)
- Coleoptera (446)
- Arachnida (48)
- Fungi (9)
- Lichens (1)
- Plantae (79)
- Aceraceae (3)
- Agavaceae (1)
- Anacardiaceae (2)
- Annonaceae (1)
- Apocynaceae (1)
- Asclepiadaceae (6)
- Aspleniaceae (1)
- Asteraceae (10)
- Betulaceae (4)
- Bombacaceae (1)
- Boraginaceae (1)
- Brassicaceae (1)
- Cactaceae (6)
- Cannabinaceae (1)
- Caryophyllaceae (1)
- Commelinaceae (3)
- Convallariaceae (1)
- Cornaceae (1)
- Crassulaceae (1)
- Cupressaceae (10)
- Dryopteridaceae (2)
- Equisetaceae (1)
- Ericaceae (3)
- Euphorbiaceae (1)
- Fabaceae (7)
- Fagaceae (8)
- Fumariaceae (1)
- Gentianaceae (3)
- Hamamelidaceae (3)
- Hippocastanaceae (1)
- Hyacinthaceae (2)
- Hydrophyllaceae (2)
- Iridaceae (1)
- Juglandaceae (2)
- Krameriaceae (1)
- Lamiaceae (2)
- Liliaceae (2)
- Lycopodiaceae (1)
- Moraceae (1)
- Oleaceae (1)
- Onagraceae (2)
- Orchidaceae (12)
- Orobanchaceae (1)
- Osmundaceae (1)
- Oxalidaceae (1)
- Passifloraceae (2)
- Phytolaccaceae (1)
- Pinaceae (15)
- Poaceae (4)
- Polemoniaceae (2)
- Polygonaceae (1)
- Polypodiaceae (1)
- Polytrichaceae (1)
- Primulaceae (2)
- Ranunculaceae (1)
- Rosaceae (5)
- Salicaceae (3)
- Santalaceae (1)
- Sapotaceae (1)
- Scrophulariaceae (2)
- Ulmaceae (1)
- Violaceae (1)
- Viscaceae (2)
- Zingiberaceae (1)
- _Bryophytes (1)
- Vertebrata (48)
- Amphibia (5)
- Aves (7)
- Dinosauria (2)
- Mammalia (9)
- Reptilia (37)
- [No taxon] (165)
- Arthropoda (662)
Archivum
- December 2016 (3)
- November 2016 (1)
- May 2016 (1)
- January 2016 (1)
- December 2015 (2)
- November 2015 (1)
- October 2015 (3)
- August 2015 (3)
- July 2015 (4)
- May 2015 (1)
- April 2015 (2)
- March 2015 (1)
- February 2015 (2)
- January 2015 (4)
- December 2014 (8)
- November 2014 (4)
- October 2014 (6)
- September 2014 (8)
- August 2014 (8)
- July 2014 (6)
- June 2014 (2)
- May 2014 (7)
- April 2014 (7)
- March 2014 (4)
- February 2014 (4)
- January 2014 (6)
- December 2013 (15)
- November 2013 (15)
- October 2013 (12)
- September 2013 (9)
- August 2013 (10)
- July 2013 (8)
- June 2013 (8)
- May 2013 (7)
- April 2013 (6)
- March 2013 (10)
- February 2013 (9)
- January 2013 (14)
- December 2012 (18)
- November 2012 (15)
- October 2012 (19)
- September 2012 (14)
- August 2012 (14)
- July 2012 (12)
- June 2012 (12)
- May 2012 (14)
- April 2012 (13)
- March 2012 (15)
- February 2012 (11)
- January 2012 (15)
- December 2011 (9)
- November 2011 (11)
- October 2011 (11)
- September 2011 (17)
- August 2011 (15)
- July 2011 (16)
- June 2011 (15)
- May 2011 (12)
- April 2011 (16)
- March 2011 (17)
- February 2011 (14)
- January 2011 (17)
- December 2010 (17)
- November 2010 (11)
- October 2010 (12)
- September 2010 (15)
- August 2010 (11)
- July 2010 (13)
- June 2010 (14)
- May 2010 (15)
- April 2010 (21)
- March 2010 (14)
- February 2010 (11)
- January 2010 (9)
- December 2009 (13)
- November 2009 (10)
- October 2009 (8)
- September 2009 (7)
- August 2009 (8)
- July 2009 (9)
- June 2009 (13)
- May 2009 (13)
- April 2009 (11)
- March 2009 (13)
- February 2009 (10)
- January 2009 (10)
- December 2008 (10)
- November 2008 (6)
- October 2008 (7)
- September 2008 (10)
- August 2008 (2)
- July 2008 (4)
- June 2008 (3)
- May 2008 (2)
- April 2008 (1)
- March 2008 (3)
- February 2008 (1)
- January 2008 (1)
- December 2007 (3)
- November 2007 (2)
Image Use Policy
All images appearing on this website are © Ted C. MacRae unless stated otherwise and may not be reproduced in any form without prior written permission. The following specific uses of web versions are allowed without prior permission:- Educational classroom use by students, teachers, and researchers;
- Use in presentations and posters by participants of academic conferences;
- Reposting online on social media (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, personal blogs, etc.) by individuals acting in a strictly personal capacity.
Blog Stats
- 1,231,893 hits
Monthly Archives: August 2011
Peek-A-Boo!
Despite the geographic specificity of its scientific and common names, the Carolina grasshopper (Dissosteira carolina) can be found in every state of the contiguous United States and adjacent provinces of Canada. Its large size, cryptic coloration with yellow hind wings, tendency … Continue reading
Use of extension tubes for better lighting
The photos in this post of Tetracha floridana (Florida Metallic Tiger Beetle) illustrate a technique that I have begun using recently to improve the lighting in my full-flash insect macrophotographs—use of extension tubes! I know this sounds strange, and I actually just … Continue reading
Charming Couple revisited
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
Gnom, Gnom, Gnom…
I’ve become a big fan of night-time tiger beetle photography since my early August trip to Florida. Not only does it open up the world of nocturnal species that might go undetected during the day, it also affords the opportunity to … Continue reading
Why I Roamed the Marsh at Night
For two years I waited. The narrow strip of coastal scrub and mangrove marsh along the intracoastal waterway behind my sister-in-law’s condominium in Seminole, Florida had been an unexpected surprise during my first visit in August 2009. Despite its small size and urban surroundings, … Continue reading
Creepy Crawly Crustaceans
During my early August trip to the Gulf Coast of Florida, I spent several nights exploring the small mangrove marsh behind my sister-in-law’s condominium in Seminole. There were other reasons for me wanting to do this that will be revealed in … Continue reading
Super Crop Challenge #8
Here’s a face you don’t see that often (or at least I don’t). There’s little doubt about what body parts are shown here, so rather than awarding points for naming structures we’ll treat this as a standard ID Challenge. However, the categories … Continue reading