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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 Professor Louie Yang (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Louie Yang, PCES Speaker: Monarchs and Milkweed

January 21, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 News flash/update: Professor Louie Yang, a community ecologist in the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, will be the speaker at the Pacific Coast Entomological Society (PCES) meeting at 1 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 24 in Room 122 of Briggs Hall, University of California, Davis.Yang, whose…
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Professor Fran Keller interacting with visitors at the Bohart Museum of Entomology.

Pacific Coast Entomological Society to Meet at UC Davis

January 20, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 If you're interested in joining the Pacific Coast Entomological Society (PCES), the first meeting of the year will be Saturday, Jan. 24 at 1 p.m. in Room 122 of Briggs Hall, University of California, Davis. Following the meeting, the group will gather at the Bohart Museum of Entomology to learn…
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A honey bee nectaring on a Japanese apricot tree at UC Davis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

An Early Sign of Spring on UC Davis Campus

January 19, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 It's an early sign of spring on the University of California, Davis, when a solo Japanese apricot tree, located north central of Wickson Hall, bursts into full bloom.A plaque reads "Japanese Apricot, Prune mume dawn, planted in honor of Dr. William Tufts, March 7, 1963 by the Landscape Horticulture…
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An urban landscape that attracts pollinators. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Drivers of Arthropod Diversity

January 16, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 You won't want to miss this UC Davis seminar on arthropods in landscapes by Stacy Philpott, professor of environmental studies at UC Santa Cruz.Philpott will speak on "Social, Local, and Landscape Drivers of Arthropod Diversity, Traits, and Networks in Urban Agroecosystems" at a seminar hosted by the…
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A wooly bear caterpillar at Bodega Bay. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Rick Karban and the Wooly Bear Caterpillars of Bodega Bay

January 15, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 Ever seen the wooly bear caterpillars at Bodega Head, Sonoma County?UC Davis Distinguished Professor Emeritus Richard “Rick” Karban of the Department of Entomology and Nematology has studied the population dynamics of these caterpillars at the University of California Bodega Marine…
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