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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. 

Can you see an ant and a spider in this photo of an almond tree? It's a winter ant, Prenolepis imparis and a jumping spider, Salticidae. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

And Along Came a Spider

March 2, 2018
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
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.
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This is a big-eyed ant, Pseudomyrmex boopis. Alexander Wild, who received his doctorate in entomology from UC Davis and is now curator of entomology, University of Austin, Texas, captured this image in Armenia, Belize. See more of his images at alexanderwild.com. (Copyrighted by Alex Wild and used with permission)

Behold, the Big-Eyed Ant (And Brendon Boudinot Will Talk About It)

February 27, 2018
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
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.
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