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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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Halloween Pumpkins, Entomology Style

Entomologists Did These!

October 27, 2025
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 Don't expect traditionally carved pumpkins at the annual pre-Halloween celebrations at the Bohart Museum of Entomology at the University of California, Davis.Think insects.The annual event, hosted by the Bohart Museum Society, usually feature pumpkins carved by members of the UC Davis Entomology Club…
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Varroa mite on drone bee pupa. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

UC Davis Seminar Speaker to Share Honey Bee Research

October 24, 2025
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 Breaking News: Due to unforeseeable circumstances, this seminar has been cancelledIf you're a bee scientist, bee researcher or just someone curious about bees, insect research, or the field of synthetic biology, you won't want to miss the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology seminar on…
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Asian citrus psyllid (Wikipedia photo)

Walter Leal: Special Award for Citrus Pest Research

October 23, 2025
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 UC Davis Distinguished Professor Walter Leal recently received an award from the citrus research organization, FUNDECITRUS,  São Paulo, Brazil, in recognition of his “outstanding contribution to citriculture,” emphasizing his work on the Asian citrus psyllid and a Lepidopteran pest named…
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An ootheca in a Vacaville yard. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Not a Great Place for an Ootheca!

October 22, 2025
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 Picture this: A praying mantis egg case beneath the lip of a water sprinkler."Hey, Mama, your nymphs are in for a surprise if the sprinkler's on. Got a better think--or drink--coming?"Marsha Lucas was working in her Vacaville backyard this week when she spotted her water sprinkler's new occupant.That's…
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UC Davis Distinguished Professor Emerita Lynn Kimsey. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Congrats, Lynn Kimsey, CAS Fellow

October 21, 2025
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 Congratulations to UC Davis Distinguished Professor Emerita Lynn Kimsey of the Department of Entomology and Nematology, newly inducted Fellow of the California Academy of Sciences (CAS). Kimsey, an internationally recognized hymenopterist,  directed the Bohart Museum of Entomology for 34…
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