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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. 

The lion's tail, Leonotis leonurus, is a native of South Africa and attracts birds, butterflies and hummingbirds. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Lion's Tail: The 'Mane' Event

November 25, 2020
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
The lady beetle, aka ladybug, scurried up the lion's tail plant, Leonotis leonurus. Up one stem and down another, she went. Apparently, she didn't find what she was looking for--aphids or other small bodied-insects--and took flight. If you haven't planted this in your pollinator garden, you should.
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Professor Rick Karban has researched communication in sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) on the east side of the Sierra since 1995.

Rick Karban: Do Plants Have Personalities?

November 24, 2020
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
If you've been talking to your plants for years, you are not alone. But know this: plants can communicate, too. They eavesdrop, sense danger in the environment, and can distinguish friend from foe.
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This is the infographic that won Jill Oberski a first-place award in the Entomological Society of America's graduate student competition.

Jill Oberski: Why Museum Collections Matter

November 23, 2020
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
Congratulations to the five UC Davis entomology doctoral students who excelled in the Entomological Society of America's student competitions, part of the organization's Nov. 16-25 virtual meeting.
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A question about the paranormal figure Mothman drew interest at the Entomology Games, hosted by the Entomological Society of America. (Illustration by Tim Bertelink, Wikipedia)

What Entomologists Need to Know

November 19, 2020
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
If you're a graduate student in entomology and competing with your team in the Entomology Games, a college-bowl type trivia game hosted by the Entomological Society of America, it's not only good to know your insects but you ought to have an interest in sports, crime-fighting insect figures, and car...
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