Bug Squad

"Honey bees are superb beekeepers; they know what they're doing." So said bee scientist and author Tom Seeley of Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., when he keynoted the fourth annual UC Davis Bee Symposium, held March 3 in the UC Davis Conference Center.

If you've been checking out the honey bees foraging on the almonds lately--in between the rains--you might see other critters as well. Like a winter ant. Or a jumping spider. This winter ant, Prenolepis imparis (as identified by ant specialist Brendon Boudinot, a Ph.D.

All systems are "bee" for the fourth annual UC Davis Bee Symposium: Keeping Bees Healthy, on Saturday, March 3. Except for a little liquid sunshine.

The evolutionary history of honey bees dates back millions and millions of years. Bees are thought to have appeared at least 130 million years ago, according to British biologist Dave Goulson, author of A Sting in the Tale: My Adventures with Bumblebees.

It's not just about the sting or those big eyes. Ant specialists and other researchers also hone in on big-eyed ants for their relationships with plants. Those attending a UC Davis seminar this week on big ants will learn all about them, including the phylogenetic morphology. Brendon Boudinot, a Ph.