Bug Squad

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.

A honey bee dusted with pollen from Gaillardia, also known as "the blanket flower." (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Bee Inspired: It's World Bee Day!

May 20, 2020

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

Did you observe World Bee Day today? Every year on May 20, the United Nations asks us to think about this day, "to raise awareness of the importance of pollinators" and "the threats they face and their contribution to sustainable development.

View Article

This is the female of the new genus, Cryptocteniza. (Image by Jason Bond)

Name That Spider!

May 19, 2020

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

Name that spider! UC Davis professor Jason Bond is seeking a species name for a new genus of trapdoor spiders he discovered on a sandy beach at Moss Landing State Park, Monterey County. Bond proposes to name the genus, Cryptocteniza, part of which means hidden or secret.

View Article

The Western Tiger Swallowtail, Papilio rutulus, foraging in the Ruth Storer Garden in the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A Tiger in Your Garden

May 18, 2020

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

The "Tiger King" has nothing on the Western Tiger Swallowtail. The colorful yellow and black butterfly, Papilio rutulus, reigns supreme. We saw this one last week at the Ruth Storer Garden in the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden.

View Article

A screen shot of Riverside pulmonary specialist Anoop Maheshwari, relating his story about his near-death experience as a COVID-19 patient. In the background is organizer-moderator Walter Leal, UC Davis distinguished professor.

Second COVID-19 Symposium: Well Done and Much Appreciated

May 15, 2020

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

Thanks you so much for today, and to all of your panelists. The citizens of our area are truly lucky for your hard work in your preparation for this informational webinar. The public needs more of these types of forums for the detail education that this provided on COVID-19.

View Article

This is the Asian giant hornet, Vespa mandarinia, that was detected and destroyed on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, in September 2019. (Photo courtesy of the Washington State Department of Agriculture)

Bohart Museum Virtual Open House: Got a Question About Wasps?

May 14, 2020

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

Do you have a question about wasps? Lynn Kimsey, director of the Bohart Museum of Entomology and UC Davis professor of entomology, will answer questions from 11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m., on Friday, May 22 at the Bohart's first-ever virtual open house on FacebookLive.

View Article