The Insect Pavilion at the California State Fair, which includes specimens from the Bohart Museum of Entomology at the University of California, Davis, showcases the good, the bad and the bugly. The fair opened Friday, July 13 and continues through Sunday, July 29.
It was "Moth Night" at the Bohart Museum of Entomology last Saturday night, but three scarab beetles beat the moths to the blacklighting display. The UC Davis event took place from 8 to 11 p.m.
It's a bully. But what a bully! Ever seen the male European wool carder bee (Anthidium manicatum) protecting its turf? It's "no-holds barred" on our blue spike sage (Salvia uliginosa) and frankly, it's a delight to see and photograph.
The "best-kept secret" is no more. Well, it's not so much as a "best-kept secret" but a "UC Davis treasure." Thousands attended the seventh annual UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day, which showcased 13 museums or collections.