Bug Squad Logo

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. 

Primary Image
Female praying mantis, Stagmomantis limbata. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bug Squad: Article

What a Mantis!

September 16, 2025
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 There’s a “mom” in the word Stagmomantis, as in Stag-mom-antis limbata. That genus name seems quite appropriate for a gravid mantis, don't you think?Take the mama-to-be that's a permanent tenant in a Vacaville patch of African blue basil. She knows this is the place to "bee."We've nicknamed her …
View Article
Primary Image
Anopheles gambiae
Bug Squad: Article

An Eyewitness to the Fall of Saigon and a Glance at Mosquitoes and Malaria

September 15, 2025
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 "It was a peaceful transition, and not the expected bloodbath."That's what retired teacher Claudia Krich of Davis, author of  "Those Who Stayed: A  Vietnam Diary," and an eyewitness to the Fall of Saigon told a recent meeting of the Vacaville Museum Guild.That day,  April 30, 1975,…
View Article
Primary Image
Honey bee in flight. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bug Squad: Article

Bee-ing There: A Buzzworthy Event

September 12, 2025
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 It was a joy to see the amazing group of UC Davis employees receiving well-deserved awards at the UC Davis Staff Assembly's Citation of Excellence ceremony, held Sept. 10 at the residence of Chancellor Gary May.One of the recipients was "bee guy" Joseph Tauzer, manager of the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey…
View Article
Primary Image
Lecture that Professor Jason Bond delivered.
Bug Squad: Article

Sharing Spider Research in Slovenia

September 11, 2025
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 It's not often that a UC Davis scientist heads to Slovenia to share expertise on trapdoor spiders.As a Fulbright Special Program award recipient, Professor Jason Bond is doing just that. He's meeting with scientists and presenting talks at the National Institute of Biology (NIB) in Slovenia. …
View Article
Primary Image
Forensic entomologist Robert Kimsey on Alcatraz Island. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bug Squad: Article

A UC Davis Forensic Entomologist, a Museum Exhibit and a Panel Discussion

September 10, 2025
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 Noted UC Davis forensic entomologist Robert “Bob” Kimsey, a past president of the North America Forensic Entomology Association (NAEA), retired from the Department of Entomology and Nematology faculty in June of 2024, but he hasn't retired from his research and public service.He will join seven death…
View Article