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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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UC Davis entomology doctoral candidate Charlotte Herbert Alberts with her husband, George, son Griffin, then 2.5, and Marcy, then a week old. (Image taken Oct. 28, 2022)

For the Love of Robber Flies

December 19, 2022
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
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.
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Nematologist Shahid Siddique, assistant professor in the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology faculty, answers questions at the 2021 UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Mark Your Calendars! UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day is Feb. 18

December 16, 2022
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
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.
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Rain beetles collected in the Shenandoah Valley of Plymouth, Amador County. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Ever Seen a Rain Beetle?

December 15, 2022
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
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.
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Entomologist Jeff Smith, curator of the Lepidoptera collection at the Bohart Museum, shows visitors some of the specimens. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Bohart Museum of Entomology: Limited Hours During the Holiday Season

December 14, 2022
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
If you're planning to visit the Bohart Museum of Entomology on the University of Davis, campus, the hours are limited during the holiday season. Tabatha Yang, education and outreach coordinator, announced today: The last day in December that we are open to the public is Thursday, Dec. 15 from 9 a.m.
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