Bug Squad

Have you seen Brood X cicadas up close and personal? If not, you're probably in the wrong state. Or not there at the right time.

What's better than a mint on your pillow? A mint moth in your garden! We ran across this colorful mint moth, Pyrausta californicalis (as identified by UC Davis distinguished professor Art Shapiro) on May 20 in a Vacaville bed of tall lavender.

If you've ever seen a spider-hunting wasp capture, sting, and paralyze a spider, you know what these wasps can do. Renowned wasp expert Marius Wasbauer (1928-2021) studied them for about six decades. When he died this spring in Brookings, Ore.

Nothing says National Pollinator Week more than a honey bee coated in pollen. Make mine yellow. Yellow pollen. There's plenty of time to prepare. National Pollinator Week is June 21-27.

It's a delight to see the flameskimmer dragonfly (Libellula saturata). This male made its appearance in our Vacaville pollinator garden on May 17, and hung around long enough for me to capture several images. Like a lens to a flame...