Bug Squad

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.

A honey bee, cooped up in a hive for weeks due to the rain and cold, heads for a nectarine blossom in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Where, Oh Where, Can They Bee?

March 14, 2023

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

The nectarines are bursting into bloom, but where are the honey bees? Well, they're huddled inside their colonies as California storms erupt with a vengeance reserved for politics. The bees venture out...one here...one there...

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An isopod, a crustacean, has 14 legs. This is an Armadillidium gestroi, also known as high yellow spotted isopod, originating from the shores of France near limestone, sandstone, and granite. (Photo by Elijah Shih)

Bohart Museum Open House on 'Many Legged Wonders': How Many Legs Does an Isopod Have?

March 13, 2023

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

Quick, how many legs does an isopod have? If you said "14," go to the head of the class. Is it an insect? No, it's a crustacean. When the Bohart Museum of Entomology hosts an open house on "Many-Legged Wonders" from 1 to 4 p.m.

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These images will help tell the story when ecologist Sylvain Pincebourde presents a UC Davis-sponsored seminar on climate change on March 15.

UC Davis Seminar: French Reseacher to Target Climate Change

March 10, 2023

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

You won't want to miss ecologist Sylvain Pincebourde's virtual seminar on climate change, hosted by the UC Davis Department of Entomology an Nematology.

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Meet Coco McFluffin, a resident tarantula in the Bohart Museum's live petting zoo. It's a Chaco golden knee tarantula (Grammostola pulchripes), native to Paraguay and Argentina. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Many-Legged Wonders at the Bohart Museum of Entomology

March 9, 2023

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

Last year the Bohart Museum of Entomology hosted an open house themed "Eight-Legged Wonders." It featured primarily spiders. Next week the Bohart Museum is adding more legs. It's hosting an open house themed "Many-Legged Wonders." The event, free and open to the public, is set from 1 to 4 p.m.

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A screen shot of the UC Davis Research Scholars Program in Insect Biology website.

How the UC Davis Research Scholars Program in Insect Biology Shines

March 8, 2023

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

When you access the UC Davis Research Scholars Program in Insect Biology website, the first thing you notice is "Welcome!" A warm welcome! "UC Davis is a big university, with a strong focus on research," the text begins.

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