Bug Squad

You've seen honey bees buzzing past you to reach a good nectar or pollen source. But there's much more to it than that. What's in that floral nectar and pollen? Think plant-pollinator-pathogen webs.

Mark your calendars for a "parade of parasitoids!" The Bohart Museum of Entomology at the University of California, Davis, is sponsoring its annual "Parasitoid Palooza" open house on Saturday, Oct. 19 from 1 to 4 p.m. in Room 1124 of the Academic Surge Building on Crocker Lane.

It's a fair. It's a party. It's a pollinator party. It's the Bay Area Bee Fair in Berkeley. And it's the place to be on Sunday, Oct. 13 at the Berkeley Flea Market, located at Ashby BART. The second annual event, free and family friendly, is set from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Yes, he began his career studying honey bees. The late Robbin Thorp, the renowned UC Davis distinguished emeritus professor of entomology and global bee authority who will be memorialized at a celebration of life on Friday, Oct. 11 at 6 p.m.

It's a strikingly beautiful insect. But in its larval stage, the alfalfa butterfly, Colias eurytheme--also known as the orange sulphur butterfly--is a pest. If you grow alfalfa, you're not a fan of this butterfly, and rightfully so.