Bug Squad

When Frank Loesser (1910-1969) wrote and composed "Luck Be a Lady" in 1950, he wasn't thinking of a butterfly. But when we spotted this Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) in our garden this week, we knew she was lucky.

Folks in Georgia have more than Georgia on their minds. It's about this yellow-legged hornet detected in Savannah, Ga., the first live species of Vespa velutina reported in the United States.

If Barbie had a praying mantis, it would be pretty in pink. Do you think Barbie would fawn over a praying mantis nestled in a bed of pink zinnia petals? We spotted this Stagmomantis limbata in our living laboratory (pollinator garden), and admired her stance. Then Ms.

Bring on the praying mantises! An enthusiastic crowd is expected at the Bohart Museum of Entomology open house from 1 to 4 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 27 in Room 1124 of Academic Surge Building, 455 Crocker Lane, University of California, Davis. It's free and family friendly. Parking is also free.

A green bottle fly lands on a tropical milkweed, Asclepias curassavica, in a Vacaville pollinator garden.