Bug Squad

A daily (M-F) blog launched Aug. 6, 2008 and about the wonderful world of insects and those who study them. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
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Maggot art masterpieces drying on bulletin board.

Maggot Art: Let It Bee!

April 24, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 Can a honey bee participate in a maggot art activity?Yes, it can.  And yes, it did.When the UC Davis Entomology Graduate Student Association (EGSA) hosted its annual maggot art activity in the Briggs Hall courtyard during the 112th annual UC Davis Picnic Day, a worker bee seemed to want to join in…
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Mosquitoes under a microscope

Targeting Mosquitoes

April 23, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 "Mosquitoes are considered to be the deadliest animals on Earth because the diseases they transmit claim at least a million human lives every year globally."So wrote a young mosquito researcher in his research publication, "Linking Mosquito Ecology, Traits, Behavior, and Disease Transmission,"…
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A child holding a stick insect at Bohart Museum of Entomology.

Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho...

April 22, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 "Heigh ho, heigh ho, it's off to work we go..."That's a song from Walt Disney's 1937 animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, written by Frank Churchill (music) and Larry Morey (lyrics).But on Thursday, April 23, employees everywhere--including those at UC Davis--will be taking their offspring…
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A pipevine swallowtail in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

To Catch a Butterfly

April 21, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 To catch a butterfly....Keep your eye on the butterfly, step forward, and extend your net. "Ready? Here it comes!"That was the scene at the Bohart Museum of Entomology insect-netting demonstration at Briggs Hall during the 112th annual UC Davis PIcnic Day on Saturday, April 18. Hannah Petok, a…
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Honey bees at work inside the hive. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Engineering Honey Bee Gut Bacteria

April 20, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 This promises to be an interesting talk!Synthetic biologist Sean Leonard, research scientist at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory will present  "Engineering Honey Bee Gut Bacteria to Activate Immunity and Limit Pathogens" at his seminar hosted by the UC Davis Department of Entomology and…
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