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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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Monarch resting in nectarine tree. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

She Was Number Eight

September 1, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 So there she was, as the day drew to a close, tucked in a patch of African blue basil in our pollinator garden.She was barely visible,  but the European wool carder bees, leafcutter bees, honey bees and syrphid flies knew she was there."Our patch! Our patch! Our patch!" The permanent residents…
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Shah Alam of the Amanda Hodson lab

Nematodes, Tomatoes and Challenges

August 31, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 If you're curious about nematodes and tomatoes and the scientific research involved, be sure to head to the UC Davis campus on Friday, Sept. 4 to hear master's degree candidate Shah Alam of the Amanda Hodson lab, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, present his exit seminar on "Management…
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Lady beetle larvae eating aphids. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Who Knew This About Aphids?

August 28, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 For decades, we've watched oleander aphids infest our milkweed.Like many folks, we grow milkweed for the monarchs, but aphids insist on having their share, too.  Guess who's coming to dinner? Aphids. Guess who's NOT invited? Aphids. Guess who's coming anyway? Aphids.Fast forward to the…
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monarch in flight, fluffy white clouds. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

'Love Is Like a Butterfly'

August 27, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 "Love is like a butterfly As soft and gentle as a sigh The multicolored moods of love are like its satin wings Love makes your heart feel strange inside It flutters like soft wings in flight..." --Dolly Parton, 'Love Is Like a Butterfly' album, 1974The world mourns the loss of the legendary Dolly…
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insect displays from the Bohart Museum of Entomology

Buzzing with the Bohart

August 26, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 Buzzing with the Bohart...The Bohart Museum of Entomology spreads the wonder and joy of insects through its many outreach programs.Tabatha Yang, Bohart Museum education and outreach coordinator, and Bohart intern Jo Ridgeway recently tabled at the Vacaville Museum Guild's annual Children's Party.  …
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