Bug Squad

"Wasps are terrible. They come jam-packed full of pain and anger, and they love to sting us out of the blue while we're minding our own business. They eat our food at picnics and frighten our children. They even build nests in our gardens and homes, just to complicate our already-stressful lives.

Move over, monarchs butterflies. The cold-adapted Parnassian butterflies don't get nearly as much attention as the iconic monarchs that migrate to overwintering spots, but a UC Davis entomology student's research may help change all that.

Every April 30, UC Davis doctoral candidate Charlotte Herbert Alberts, celebrates World Robber Fly Day. Now she has another day to celebrate: she recently published the first chapter of her dissertation on a new species of robber flies (also called assassin flies), in ZooKeys.

Mark your calendars! The 12th annual UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day, billed as "A Day to Celebrate Science," is set for Saturday, Feb. 18. Traditionally held during Presidents' Day Weekend, the event is free and family friendly. Parking is also free.

Ever seen a rain beetle? During these winter rainstorms, keep your eye out for the rain beetle, genus Pleocoma, family Pleocomidae. You may see them before sunrise or just after sunset. The males can fly only a couple of hours before they die. The females are flightless.