Bug Squad

They marveled at the tadpole shrimp. They crafted tadpole shrimp-themed hats and puppets using paper plates and googly eyes. And they asked questions. Lots of questions.

There's a way for a bear to outsmart a fox. A teddy bear bee, that is. We just witnessed a male Valley carpenter bee, Xylocopa sonorina, aka "the teddy bear bee," buzz up to a patch of foxgloves, Digitalis purpurea. Then he engaged in the foraging behavior known as nectar-robbing.

When you sit down to share a meal with family and friends, you might not be thinking the pests that want their share. But you should. And if you attend the Bohart Museum of Entomology open house from 1 to 4 p.m.

How much do you know about tadpole shrimp? First, they're neither tadpoles nor shrimp. Second, they're crustaceans and are pests of rice.

The late Robbin Thorp, UC Davis distinguished emeritus professor of entomology, would have been proud of the California Bumble Bee Atlas and its conservation plans.