Bug Squad

This just in for Halloween! Ever seen a false black widow spider? Commonly known as the cupboard spider, it's a semi-cosmopolitan spider that's often confused with the "real" black widow spider, known for its powerful venom.

Late bloomers. Late eaters. Monarch butterflies are migrating now, but we're still finding a few caterpillars in our pollinator garden in Vacaville, Calif.

Have you ever wondered how climate change affects bees? Honey bees and native bees? You can find out Wednesday, Oct. 12 at a program on "Bees and Climate Change at the Hagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven, located on Bee Biology Road, west of the central campus. The event, set from noon to 1:30 p.

The Mexican sunflower (Tithonia) is never alone. It loves company, attracting scores of insect guests, from honey bees to bumble bees to butterflies. We've seen monarchs, Gulf Fritillaries, Western tiger swallowtails, buckeyes, and fiery skippers nectaring on our Mexican sunflowers.

So here's this praying mantis perched on top of a prickly pear cactus. It's early morning and she's hungry. A cabbage white butterfly, looking like a white-gowned princess in a medieval palace, flutters by and pauses on the prickly pear to seek some sunshine. Oops! Fatal mistake.