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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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Cabbage white butterfly, Pieris rapae. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Rapae, Rapae, Where Are You?

January 28, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 No one has come forth with the first cabbage white butterfly, Pieris rapae, of the year in the three-county area of Sacramento, Yolo and Solano, to win the 2026 Beer-for-a-Butterfly Contest.Not even the sponsor, UC Davis Distinguished Professor Emeritus Art Shapiro, who launched the event in 1972--and…
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CoCo McFluffin in 2019. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

CoCo McFluffin: Gone But Not Forgotten

January 27, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 Coco McFluffin, gone but not forgotten.The much-loved Chaco golden-knee tarantula at the Bohart Museum of Entomology, University of California, Davis, crossed the Rainbow Bridge today.She was part of the Bohart Museum's live petting zoo for many years, at least since 2016. The Bohart Museum is better…
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A mosquito, Culex quinquefasciatus, drawing blood. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

UC Davis Researcher to Discuss St. Louis Encephalitis Virus

January 26, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 "Most people infected with St. Louis encephalitis virus do not have symptoms," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Those people who do become ill may experience fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, and tiredness. Some people may develop neuroinvasive disease, such as…
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UC Davis Professor Phil Ward discussing ants at the Bohart Museum of Entomology during the 2025 UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Gearing Up for the UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day

January 23, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 Fifteen is not just a number; it's a milestone.So when the 15th annual campuswide UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day, a free and family friendly event, rolls around on  Saturday, Feb. 21, it's a very special day. The event will encompass 12  museums and collections.The  event, known…
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Franklin's bumble bee specimens at Bohart Museum of Entomology. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Her Cup Runneth Over

January 22, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 Her cup runneth over.Only a select group of people win the Franklin's Bumble Bee coffee cup, and UC Davis alumna  Lesley Hamamoto of Sacramento recently received hers for being named the  winner of the 2026 Robbin Thorp Memorial First-Bumble-Bee-of-the-Year Contest, sponsored by the…
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