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Author Archives: David Maddison
Lindrochthus at Mount Tamalpais
In an earlier post, I wrote about how the distinctive subgenus Lindrochthus, viewed in the literature as consisting of the single species Bembidion wickhami, was actually at least two species. And those two species live together at Mount Tamalpais, just … Continue reading
Posted in Fieldwork, Revising Bembidiina, Taxonomic Process
Tagged Bembidion, genitalia, Lindrochthus, Mount Tamalpais
3 Comments
It was fifty years ago today…
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 Bembidion, Lindroth, taxonomy
8 Comments
Zephyr
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
Shutting down Lionepha lummi
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
BotW: Andinodontis
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
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
My favorite beetle illustration
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
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:
Who should be listed on collecting labels?
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
Another surprise in Lionepha
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 DNA taxonomy, genitalia, Lionepha, Sierra Nevada
1 Comment
David Maddison
The Subulate Palpomere 