Author Archives: David Maddison

It was fifty years ago today…

Posted on 18 October 2013 by David Maddison

Fifty years ago today, Carl Hildebrand Lindroth’s revision of the Bembidion of Canada and Alaska was published; this was part 3 of his opus on the ground beetles of Canada and Alaska. This work is the basis of all that … Continue reading →

Posted in Revising Bembidiina, Scientific Illustrations, Taxonomic Process | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

Zephyr

Posted on 13 October 2013 by David Maddison

A zephyr is a soft, gentle breeze, derived from the Greek “zephuros”, meaning god of the west wind.  It is one of my favorite words, in part because I find the word “zephyr”  beautifully shaped, in part because it reminds … Continue reading →

Posted in Musings | 1 Comment

Shutting down Lionepha lummi

Posted on 11 October 2013 by David Maddison

I am quite sure that this is the habitat of Lionepha lummi.  The picture below shows American Camp, on San Juan Island, not far from Friday Harbor, in Washington state.  And I think tomorrow would be a perfect day to … Continue reading →

Posted in Fieldwork, Revising Bembidiina | Tagged , | 2 Comments

BotW: Andinodontis

Posted on 3 October 2013 by David Maddison

Andinodontis is a genus of small ground beetles that lives in the Andes of South America. Here’s Andinodontis muellermotzfeldi from near Baeza, Ecuador; it’s a bit less than 2.5 mm in length.  These beetles are part of an enigmatic lineage of … Continue reading →

Posted in Beetle of the Week | 2 Comments

Rainy-season beetles

Posted on 30 September 2013 by David Maddison

The rains have returned to the Pacific Northwest.  During the last few days a rain-drop symphony has been playing in my house in the woods, and the douglas fir and oaks are weeping in thanks for fall’s arrival after a … Continue reading →

Posted in Fieldwork, Revising Bembidiina | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

My favorite beetle illustration

Posted on 25 September 2013 by David Maddison

Today I was reminded of my favorite illustration of a carabid beetle.  Here it is.  Drawn by my daughter, Julia, 21 years ago, when she was 4. Given the prominence of the area around the discal setae of the elytra, … Continue reading →

Posted in Miscellany, Scientific Illustrations | 6 Comments

BotW: Cnemalobus

Posted on 25 September 2013 by David Maddison

Cnemalobus is a genus of large carabids from southern South America.   Here’s one from Chile: One of the cool things about Cnemalobus is that they make noises (they stridulate) as the run:

Posted in Beetle of the Week | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Who should be listed on collecting labels?

Posted on 23 September 2013 by David Maddison

One of the questions that all collectors face is “what should I put on the label?”  From a time in which the only label on a specimen might be a gold dot, or simply “Canada”, we are now at a … Continue reading →

Posted in Fieldwork, Taxonomic Process | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Another surprise in Lionepha

Posted on 20 September 2013 by David Maddison

Two days ago I had a post about an unexpected species of Lionepha in the Sierras, of which I became aware when I looked at a specimen that my graduate student John Sproul caught on the South Fork of Bishop … Continue reading →

Posted in Revising Bembidiina, Taxonomic Process | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

A surprise in Lionepha

Posted on 18 September 2013 by David Maddison

In the late spring I was in the final stages of a manuscript about the genus Lionepha.  This paper will describe the new species I have mentioned earlier, describe the male of Lionepha chintimini for the first time, document DNA … Continue reading →

Posted in Fieldwork, Revising Bembidiina, Taxonomic Process | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments