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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. 

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Tatiana Peshevska of Davis is nature-journaling in the UC Davis Bee Haven.

Nature-Journaling at the UC Davis Bee Haven

May 26, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 Picture this...You're journaling as a participant in a class at the UC Davis Bee Haven. The garden is not only tranquil but therapeutic. You're writing and sketching about the bees buzzing, the butterflies fluttering, the flowers blooming, and the birds chirping. That's what took place when…
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Civil War scene, colorbearer shot. This work, "The Siege of Vicksburg--Assault on Fort Hill," is by Swedish-born American illustrator Thure de Thulstrup (1848-1930), whom his contemporary critics considered "the foremost military artist in America." (Image courtesy of Wikipedia)

Memorial Day and Memories

May 25, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 Today, on Memorial Day, May 25, 2026, we pay tribute to America's fallen soldiers, and those who served in the military."The Civil War was America's bloodiest conflict.  The unprecedented violence of battles such as Shiloh, Antietam, Stones River, and Gettysburg shocked citizens and international…
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Orange sulfur butterfly, Colias eurytheme. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Sixty Years Later, His Scientific Dream Comes True

May 22, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 More than 60 years ago, a teenage butterfly researcher in Philadelphia conceived of a genomics research project involving the genus Colias, the sulfur butterfly.  It never came to fruition because DNA genomics had not yet been invented. Fast forward to today. The research project that the…
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Argentine ant crawling on honey-coated spoon. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

What He Discovered After Large-Scale Argentine Ant Removals

May 21, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 The invasive Argentine ant (Linepithema humile), a significant pest in both agricultural and urban settings, is known for its supercolonies that render substantial harm to flora and fauna, including native arthropods, vertebrates and plants.Enter Professor David Holway of the UC San Diego Department of…
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Western bumble bee, Bombus occidentalis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Celebrating World Bee Day!

May 20, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 Today, May 20, is World Bee Day, and time to "raise awareness on the essential role bees and other pollinators play in keeping people and the planet healthy, and on the many challenges they face today," according to the World Bee Day organizers. "We have been celebrating this day since 2018, thanks to…
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