Bug Squad

Picture this. A female Melissodes agilis, the so-called "agile longhorned bee," is foraging on a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola. Longhorned? So named because they have unusually long antennae.

A retired Fairfield elementary school teacher says that butterflies are the "gateway bug" to entomology. It's the symmetry, the beauty, the agility, he says. He's right. So, forget about the old adage, "stop and smell the roses" (although that's good, too).

Congrats to UC Davis distinguished professor Walter Soares Leal of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, and a former chair of the Department of Entomology, on his induction as a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI).

Friday, June 10 proved to be a great day in "The Land of Z," and Saturday, July 16 promises to be a great day in the "Land of B." The Land of Z? It's the home or major breeding ground of Zerene eurydice, the California dogface butterfly, the state insect.

You won't want to miss this. It's an opportunity to learn more about the biology and history of California's state insect, the California dogface butterfly. The Bohart Museum of Entomology will showcase and celebrate the butterfly at its open house from 1 to 4 p.m., Saturday, July 16.