Bug Squad

Gotta love those crab spiders! We've seen them ambushing prey, eating prey and looking for more prey. They're members of the Thomisidae family of spiders. They can move sideways and backwards. And they excel at camouflage.

It's been a "very poor year" for monarch butterflies in the Pacific Northwest. So, folks, if you're in their migratory pathway and anticipate seeing them head toward their overwintering sites in coastal California, don't get your hopes up. They're not coming.

What a delight to see that European paper wasp nest tucked beneath the overhang of a fence in a Vacaville, Calif. neighborhood.

Hear that buzz? That's an accomplishment extraordinaire.

Honey bees are the first thing you notice about the sea squill (Drimiamaritima or Urginea maritima) in the 100-acre UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden.