Bug Squad

Hello, Friday Fly Day! It's time to post an image of syrphid fly, aka hover fly or flower fly. We took this dorsal view of a syrphid fly in January of 2009.

Remember the alarm, the anxiety and the agony when news first surfaced about colony collapse disorder (CCD)?

Congratulations to the three newly selected Honorary Members of the Entomological Society of America (ESA): UC Davis distinguished professor Walter Leal, UC Davis-educated Melody Keena, a research entomologist with the U.S.

If you're a monarch butterfly scientist, a researcher, a citizen scientist, a conservationist, or just an aficionado, mark your calendar. The 2023 International Western Monarch Summit will take place Friday through Sunday, Jan. 20-22 at Pismo Beach, San Luis Obispo, and registration is now underway.

Have you ever seen a lady beetle, aka ladybird beetle, aka ladybug, take flight? Have you ever photographed it? It's early morning, Aug. 20. A lady beetle is snacking on aphids on our native milkweed plant (where the monarchs are supposed to be, but aren't!).