Bug Squad

Ever heard of Carey's Equality? Do you know who discovered it? That would be UC Davis distinguished professor James R. Carey of the Department of Entomology and Nematology, who will present a departmental seminar at 4:10 p.m.

It's World Bee Day! How did that come about? One word: Slovenia. The Republic of Slovenia, rich in beekeeping history, asked the United Nations to proclaim an annual World Bee Day, and following a three-year international effort, the United Nations agreed to do so in December 2017.

So there we were, checking out the bumble bee mimics (Anthophora bomboides stanfordiana) on May 9 at Bodega Head, Sonoma County, and along buzzes a pollen-packing Habropoda miserabilis, the bee that UC Davis doctoral alumnus Leslie Saul-Gershenz studies.

If you've ever been to Bodega Head in Sonoma County, you may have marveled at the waves crashing and the whales surfacing. But have you ever seen the digger bees, Anthophora bomboides stanfordiana, aka bumble bee mimics, that nest in the sandstone cliffs? They're there.

Want to learn more about those insect pests that ravage our crops? Curious about spiders and their ecological roles? Ever heard of the California dogface butterfly, which the California State Legislature designated at the state insect 50 years ago? You're in luck.