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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 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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Monarch in a Vacaville garden on Election Day, Nov. 4, 2025. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Monarch That Visited Vacaville on Election Day

November 4, 2025
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 A monarch visited Vacaville, Calif. on Election Day, Nov. 4, 2025.No, it wasn't King Charles or any of the 42 other monarchs in sovereign states. Did you know that these monarchies are spread across Asia (13), Europe (12), the Americas (9), Oceania (6), and Africa (3)? And yes, the monarch's role can…
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Overwintering monarchs at Natural Bridges, Santa Cruz. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Majestic Monarchs Make Their Grand Entrance

November 3, 2025
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 It's happening."Monarch butterflies are fluttering back to California’s coast, and volunteers across the West have been busy surveying overwintering sites for the 2025 Western Monarch Count (WMC)."That's what conservation biologist Isis Howard of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation…
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