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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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Male longhorned bee asleep on gaura (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

UC Davis BioDiv Day: Bees at the Bohart, Bees at The Haven

February 18, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 Will there be native bees and honey bees at the 15th annual UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day on Saturday, Feb. 21?Yes! There will be bumble bees, carpenter bees, orchard bees and orchid bees--live or specimens--at the Bohart Museum of Entomology, and honey bees and other pollinators in the UC Davis Bee…
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Greg Kareofelas and Jeff Smith of the Bohart Museum Lepidoptera Collection (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Got a Question About Butterflies?

February 17, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 Got a question about butterflies?You can engage with scientists at the Bohart Museum of Entomology from noon to 4 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 21 during the 15th annual UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day.The Bohart, located in Room 1124, Academic Surge Building, 455 Crocker Lane is one of 12 museums or…
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UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day sign (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

BioDiv Day Talks: Nematodes, Pollinator Gardens, Dinosaurs and Yeast

February 16, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 You'll learn about nematodes, pollinator gardens, dinosaurs and yeast at the speakers' series during the 15th Annual UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day on Saturday, Feb. 21. The speakers' series will take place from 4 to 5 p.m. in the Silverado Vineyards' Sensory Theatre, Sensory Building, Robert…
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The first of two murals installed by UC Davis entomologists Emily Meineke and Diane Ullman by the Plant Nursery, UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden.

Grand Opening: Unveiling Two Incredible Murals at UC Davis

February 13, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 There's a new addition to the 15th Annual UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day, which showcases 12 museums or collections on Saturday, Feb. 21.What is BioDiv Day? It's a free and family friendly event  known as "Super Science Day," a day you can view the displays (within varying times from 9 a.m. to 5…
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Culex quinquefasciatus (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

What to Know About Mosquito Surveillance

February 12, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 Mosquito surveillance is a critical public health practice involving the trapping, identification, and testing of mosquito populations to monitor species distribution, abundance, and disease presence.What should you know about mosquito surveillance, and how best to establish it?"Our results demonstrate…
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