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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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A syrphid fly on a Gaillardia. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

To Bee or Not to Bee

November 12, 2025
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 Gertrude Stein wrote that "A rose is a rose is a rose."In a spin-off, we offer: "A bee is a bee is a bee" and "A fly is a fly is a fly."They are not the same. But they are both pollinators. Books, magazines and newspapers sometimes err in publishing a photo of honey bee that's actually a syrphid…
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Malaria mosquito, courtesy of Wikipedia

Veterans' Day, Civil War, and Malaria Mosquitoes Remembered

November 11, 2025
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 Today, on Veterans' Day, let's salute our kin who served in the military. I pay tribute to the family members who fought in all of our nation's wars since the American Revolution.I particularly pay tribute to my maternal great-grandfather, Samuel Davidson Laughlin,  (1843-1910), a Civil War…
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Families using microscopes to study organisms in UC Davis workshop.

Incredible Workshop on 'Life Begins in Water'

November 10, 2025
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 If you and your family love science--who doesn't?--be sure to participate in the free workshop, “Life Begins in Water: A Workshop on Restoring Healthy Wetland Communities,”  on Saturday, Nov. 15 at Capay Open Space Regional Park, Yolo County.UC Davis entomologist Geoffrey Attardo is leading the…
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A blue orchard bee, Osmia lignaria. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Go Wild About Wild Bees at Bohart Museum of Entomology Open House

November 7, 2025
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 "Have you ever wondered what pollinators are visiting your garden or what that black-and-yellow striped bug was? In California, we have an incredible diversity of insects, which may be more difficult to tell apart than you realize. At this interactive event, you will learn how to identify bees and…
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UC Davis medical entomologist Geoffrey Attardo engaged in research at Cache Creek. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A Gathering of Entomologists: UC Davis Faculty on Way to Portland, Ore.

November 6, 2025
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 Yesterday we wrote about the UC Davis postdoctoral researchers, doctoral candidates and graduate students who are heading to the Entomological Society of America (ESA) in Portland, Ore. to deliver their presentations.Today let's single out the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology faculty…
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