Author Archives: David Maddison

Two lineages, not one

Posted on 19 August 2013 by David Maddison

I’m back, after a long hiatus.  We’ve been busy in the lab looking at the specimens from the Big Loop Trip, and sequencing them.  Over the next few weeks I will report on some of the results.  We’ve discovered some … Continue reading →

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A new lineage of Bembidion?

Posted on 1 July 2013 by David Maddison

On my recent field trip around the west, something occurred that has never happened to me before in North America:  I knew, in the field, that I had found a previously undiscovered species.  This has happened to me in South … Continue reading →

Posted in Fieldwork, Revising Bembidiina, Taxonomic Process | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

BLT

Posted on 1 July 2013 by David Maddison

Our recent field work around the western USA, dubbed “The Big Loop Trip”, covered about 6165 miles (9922 kilometers) and almost one month.  My graduate student John Sproul was with me for the entire trip; my former postdoc (now UC … Continue reading →

Posted in Fieldwork, Revising Bembidiina, Taxonomic Process | 4 Comments

There and back again

Posted on 23 June 2013 by David Maddison

We made it back to Corvallis a few hours ago, after having logged 6165 miles (9922 km) on the road trip.   Herbert (“El Tigre”) was very glad to arrive in Corvallis, as he noted that it is much moister … Continue reading →

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On the Road

Posted on 10 June 2013 by David Maddison

I’m now in Moab, Utah, on day 16 of a long field trip. On 26 May my graduate student John and I drove south from Corvallis, Oregon, collecting our way down to Concord, California, where we met up with my … Continue reading →

Posted in Fieldwork, Revising Bembidiina | 5 Comments

Universal Problem Solver

Posted on 1 June 2013 by David Maddison

I want one of these. From an article by Paul Roman, “Artificial Intelligence at Milan”, in the April 1986 issue of European Science Notes published by the U.S. Office of Naval Research.

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Off into the wilds!

Posted on 28 May 2013 by David Maddison

Kip Will, John Sproul, and I are about to embark on a 3-week trip from the Bay Area to New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada.  If you want to see pictures of the trip, check out my Instagram feed (@bembidion). … Continue reading →

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My Worst Collecting Trip EVER

Posted on 19 May 2013 by David Maddison

Thirty years ago today, on 19 May 1983, I embarked on an extraordinarily ill-fated collecting trip with Jim O’Hara, fellow graduate student at the U of Alberta in Edmonton.  It is perhaps most memorable for the discovery of a body. … Continue reading →

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Follow-up to “What should I name this beetle?”

Posted on 9 May 2013 by David Maddison

In my post “What should I name this beetle?”, I discussed a pretty, spotted beetle species that lives in the Sierra Nevadas of California and which lacks a name. I’ve recently been in discussion with Don Cameron,  an arachnologist and … Continue reading →

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The Bembidion ulkei mystery: solved

Posted on 7 May 2013 by David Maddison

In an earlier post, I discussed the mystery of Bembidion ulkei.  Here’s a quick summary:  according to Lindroth’s (1963) study, Bembidion obscuripenne is a widespread species in the west,  from California north to Washington. In contrast, Lindroth knew B. ulkei only … Continue reading →

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