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.

Early butterfly: This Umber Skipper, Poanes melane, was photographed in Vacaville, Calif. on March 25. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Early Birds? No, Early Butterflies!

March 25, 2020

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

Meanwhile, in between social distancing, what's happening in the world of insects? We were surprised to see a skipper butterfly today (March 25) foraging in our bed of mustard in Vacaville, Calif.

View Article

These redhumped caterpillars, to become moths, Schizura concinna, family Notodontidae, are dining on the leaf of a Western redbud, (Cercis occidentalis) in Vacaville, Calif. Emily Meineke, newest faculty member of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, studies how climate change and urban development affect insects, plants, and how they interact with one another. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Meet Emily Meineke, New UC Davis Urban Landscape Entomologist

March 24, 2020

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

While you're sheltering in place due to the coronavirus pandemic precautions, not too many people are aware of a new faculty member in the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, recently arrived from Harvard.

View Article

A Painted Lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui) flutters on ice plant in West Vacaville on March 20, 2020. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A Painted Lady and an Ice Plant

March 23, 2020

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

When you're sheltering in, you can still take the dog for a walk--and look for insects. We spotted this Painted Lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui) sunning itself on a carpet of red-purple ice plant (Delosperma cooperi) in west Vacaville on March 20, "the day after the first day of spring.

View Article

Swallowtail butterflies at the Bohart Museum of Entomology. Entomologist Jeff Smith, curator of the Lepidoptera section, says these are the Ulysses swallowtail – Papilio ulysses – that were collected in New Guinea, mostly by senior museum scientist Steve Heydon. "They are also found in Queensland, Australia, and some islands of Indonesia. It is one of those iconic butterflies that is often pictured in ads and other media because of its spectacular color." (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

UC Davis: Where to Learn About Insects and How to Collect Them

March 20, 2020

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

Life, as we know it, changed rapidly with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

View Article

UC Davis distinguished professor Bruce Hammock in his office (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Legendary Bruce Hammock: Why Science Is Fun

March 19, 2020

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

"Bruce D. Hammock is widely known for his groundbreaking research in insect physiology, toxicology, pharmacology, and experimental therapeutics.

View Article