Bug Squad

Hi, I'm a jumping spider. I see that you found me on the tropical milkweed, Asclepias curassavica. I'm just here for the prey, and you are definitely not prey, so not to worry.

If you vacationed at Doran Regional Beach, Bodega Bay, on a Wednesday last year (pre-COVID-19 pandemic), chances are you saw scores of dedicated volunteers pulling out the invasive ice plant, Carpobrotus edulis, along 201 Doran Beach Road. It's hard work but it's rewarding.

California this year has faced the COVID-19 pandemic, disastrous wildfires, racial unrest, and political strife--a combination resulting in undue stress and overall fatigue.

The title is intriguing: "The Smells of Dinner, Death, and Danger: How Organisms Navigate Multitrophic Interactions in a Chemical World." Chemical ecologist Anjel Helms of Texas A&M University will share information on that topic from 4:10 to 5 p.m., Wednesday, Oct.

Congratulations to the international team of scientists, including UC Davis entomologist and co-author Diane Ullman, on their publication involving the genome analysis of the western flower thrips, an invasive global agricultural pest that feeds on plants and is considered a supervector, spreading p...