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Bug Squad

Bug Squad blog image depicts a honey bee sting in action.

Welcome to the Bug Squad blog! The Bug Squad blog was launched Aug. 6, 2008 and is a daily blog (Monday through Friday). It showcases entomologists and the work they do.  The blog focuses on scientists in the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, the Bohart Museum of Entomology, Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility, the UC Davis Bee Haven, and assorted campuswide events, including UC Davis Picnic Day, UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day, and Bohart Museum open houses. The blog spotlights insects, including bees, butterflies, dragonflies, and praying mantises, as well as arachnids such as jumping spiders and crab spiders. Author and photographer is Kathy Keatley Garvey, communications specialist, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, and a longtime journalist and community scientist with two degrees from Washington State University.  She is a member of the Entomological Society of America (ESA) and the Association for Communication Excellence (ACE). Her blog posts and images have won international awards from ACE and ESA and appeared on journal and magazine covers. She shoots primarily with a Nikon Z-8 mirrorless camera, a Nikon D500 and Nikon 800, with assorted macro lenses. Feedspot lists it as one of the top entomology blogs on the Internet. 

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Newly released ladybug ready to take flight. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

What's Not to Love About Ladybugs?

September 16, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 What's not to love about ladybugs?Well, they're actually lady beetles, because they are not true bugs (family Hemiptera), but beetles (family Coleoptera). Scientists have described about 5000 species worldwide, and about 450 in North America. Last Monday 250 beetles, more or less, graced our…
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Tobacco hornworm eating tomato plant. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Very Hungry Hornworm

September 15, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 If you're a tomato or tobacco hornworm, you go through your larval stage with a horn on your posterior.You don't get to toot your horn. You use it to deter predators.You'll find a horn on both the tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta) and tomato hornworm  (Manduca quinquemaculata), family Sphingidae…
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wen Erdosh, with a Harlequin beetle, one of her favorite beetle species. This image was taken in Peru. "Gwen is one of those students who instantly shows you her enthusiasm and enjoyment of entomology and it is just this kind of person who we hope will continue in this important field of science," said entomologist Jeff Smith, who curates the Bohart Museum's Lepidoptera collection. "For those of us looking ahead at the oncoming 'golden years' we need to ensure that there will be competent young scientists w

What a Great Online Entomology Course!

September 14, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 If you'd like to learn more about insect science, take this Online Entomology Course!You won't find a more gung-ho or bug-go entomologist!UC Davis alumna Gwendolyn "Gwen" Erdosh, a globe-traveling entomologist, researcher, photographer and graduate student who shares her passion and knowledge of…
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UC Davis Distinguished Professor Bruce Hammock and Christophe Morisseau

The International Legacy of Bruce Hammock

September 11, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 The international legacy of UC Davis Distinguished Professor Bruce Hammock (1947-2026)...A Brazilian-UC Davis scientific network that collaborated with the  Hammock lab on his pioneering soluble epoxide hydrolase research, recently authored a  mini-review of their accomplishments in Science…
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A native bee at the UC Davis Student Farm Ecological Garden

Explore Biodiversity at UC Davis Student Farm Ecological Garden

September 10, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 If you're looking to celebrate California Biodiversity Day...The UC Davis Student Farm Ecological Garden, also known as "The Eco Garden," will be the site of a California Biodiversity Day event on Saturday, Sept. 12 from 9 a.m. to noon.  It's free and family friendly. The half-acre garden is…
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