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)
Primary Image
As a third grader, Jill Oberski is stretched out on the floor reading her "Audubon Field Guide to Insects and Spiders of North America." Another insect publication is within reach.

Myrmecologist Jill Oberski: A Dream Come True

June 2, 2023
Picture this. Jill Oberski is in the third grade, stretched out on the classroom floor reading her "Audubon Field Guide to Insects and Spiders of North America." Another insect publication is within reach. Fast forward to today: she's Dr. Jill Oberski.
View Article
Primary Image
This work, "The Siege of Vicksburg--Assault on Fort Hill," is by Swedish-born American illustrator Thure de Thulstrup (1848-1930), whom his contemporary critics considered "the foremost military artist in America." (Image courtesy of Wikipedia)

Malaria, Memorial Day and Memories of the Civil War

May 29, 2023
Every Memorial Day, I especially remember my great-grandfather, Samuel Davidson Laughlin (1843-1910), a Civil War color bearer who contracted malaria during the Siege of Vicksburg (May 18 -July 4, 1863). The soldiers called the mosquitoes "gallinippers.
View Article