Bug Squad

Have you ever seen a monarch butterfly eclose? It's a magical moment. First an egg, then a caterpillar, then a chrysalis, and then a butterfly, Danaus plexippus. We took some images of a monarch eclosing back on Sept. 10, 2016. It was late in the season.

If you missed hearing The Entomology Band performing in front of Briggs Hall during the recent UC Davis Picnic Day, not to worry. They're featured in a recent Entomology Today blog, published by the Entomological Society of America (and written by yours truly) and headlined "Bugs and Beat.

Just call it "15 Minutes of Aim." That's how long it takes to toss 2,000 water balloons. Or, rather, that's how long it takes the Bruce Hammock laboratory at the University of California, Davis, to toss 2,000 water balloons.

The 69th annual Solano County Fair, located at 900 Fairgrounds Drive, is themed "Blue Ribbon Fun"--and that includes bugs. The two-day fair, downsized from years past, is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, June 30 and Sunday, July 1. Admission is free; parking is $5 per vehicle. (See schedule.

It's a bird! It's a plane! Is it Superman? No, it's a bird dropping. If you're growing sweet fennel (anise), you may have noticed what appear to be two species of swallowtail butterflies populating your plant.