Bug Squad

A daily (M-F) blog launched Aug. 6, 2008 and about the wonderful world of insects and those who study them. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
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UC Davis Distinguished Professor Walter Leal
Bug Squad: Article

The Nobel Laureates and 'The Invisible Power of Academic Research'

June 30, 2025
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 Federal funding of scientific research in our academic institutions is in jeopardy, but interest is swelling for the UC Davis-based webinar,  “Beyond the Headlines: The Invisible Power of Academic Research,” set from 1 to 3 p.m., Tuesday, July 1 (Pacific Time).Today UC Davis Distinguished…
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Gobabeb Desert Research and Training Center
Bug Squad: Article

UC Davis Doctoral Student Iris Quayle to Study Darkling Beetles in Africa

June 27, 2025
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 UC Davis doctoral student Iris Quayle of the Department of Entomology and Nematology is heading to the Namib Desert of southwestern Africa in October to do research on darkling beetles.And she could not be more excited.Quayle, advised by Professor Jason Bond—he is the Evert and Marion Schlinger Endowed…
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Banded alder borer on leaf. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bug Squad: Article

What's That Bug?

June 26, 2025
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 What's that bug?If you're painting your house, a mural, or your vehicle, you have a better chance of seeing it.Vacaville artist Joi McNeill, who is painting a mural on a building in the 300 block of Merchant Street, Vacaville, saw one today. She's working on a mural that includes the Old Town Hall, a…
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A Gulf Fritllary butterfly on a butterfly bush. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bug Squad: Article

The Insects of Summer

June 25, 2025
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 Some folks consider mosquitoes, flies and cockroaches and other pests as "the insects of summer."No, the "insects of summer" include a flame skimmer dragonfly perched on a bamboo stick, a honey bee foraging on a blanket flower, a lady beetle (aka ladybug) devouring aphids, and a Gulf Fritillary…
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Albert Einstein Memorial, Washington D.C.
Bug Squad: Article

In Support of Academic Research: Why Science Matters

June 24, 2025
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 When UC Davis Distinguished Professor Walter Leal of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology headed for Washington D.C. in April to be inducted into the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), he stopped by the Albert Einstein memorial, located at the corner of the NAS grounds.Leal read Einstein's…
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