Bug Squad Logo

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. 

Primary Image
Ready to greet the crowds are (from left) Emma Kraft, undergraduate intern; Nick Latina, doctoral student, Plant Pathology; Shahid Siddique, associate professor and principal investigator; Alison Blundell, doctoral candidate, Plant Pathology; Pallavi Shakya, doctoral candidate, Plant Pathology; Bardo Castro, postdoctoral fellow; Veronica Casey, doctoral student, Entomology; and Ching-Jung Lin, doctoral candidate, Plant Pathology. (Photo courtesy of the Siddique lab)

Showcasing Animal and Plant Parasitic Nematodes

February 13, 2024
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
Nematologists answered scores of questions at the 13th annual UC Davis Biodiversity Day, a "Super Science Day" held Feb. 10. The Nematode Collection, showcased in the Katherine Esau Science Hall, drew hundreds of visitors wanting to know more about the organism commonly known as "roundworm.
View Article
Primary Image
UC Davis professor Jason Bond, director of the Bohart Museum of Entomology, shows butterly specimens to Woodland residents Olive Smith, 8, and her mother Sarah Smith. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Bohart Museum of Entomology: 'Be Curious'

February 12, 2024
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
It's Saturday, Feb. 10 and it's the 13th annual UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day at the Bohart Museum of Entomology. It's a Super Science Day showcasing 10 museums or collections across campus.
View Article