Bug Squad

(Editor's Note: Due to unforeseen circumstances, Christine Merlin cancelled this seminar but it will be rescheduled sometime next year.

Ever seen a mob of tiny sweat bees? The bees below, from the genus Lasioglossum (as identified by native pollinator specialist Robbin Thorp, distinguished emeritus professor of entomology at the University of California, Davis), just about flash-mobbed an Iceland poppy.

Possession is nine-tenths of the law. It also applies to bees foraging on lavender. A black-faced bumble bee (Bombus californicus) this morning stretched between two lavender stems and lingered there--probably to warm its wings for flight.

Mosquitoes are in the news three-fold at the University of California, Davis. First, there's the upcoming free public event, the Zika Public Awareness Symposium, set Thursday, May 26 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in Room 1001 of Giedt Hall.

He's racing through the lavender patch at breakneck speed, as if he's going to be charged with nectar robbing. The male Bombus vandykei, an engaging blond bumble bee, twists, turns and zig-zags through the long-stemmed lavender. There is no one in pursuit. Well, except for me and my trusty camera.