Bug Squad

You might see monarchs, Gulf Fritillaries, Western tiger swallowtails, pipevine swallowtails, and skippers. You'll learn about butterflies and their needs. It's a UC Davis Arboretum talk and tour and it's free and open to the public.

Western yellowjackets, nicknamed "meat bees" (as opposed to the "vegetarian honey bees") are often misidentified. A recent visitor at a camp in the Sierra Nevada mountain range witnessed a large number of wasps and stinging behavior.

Extra, extra, read all about it! This "extra" has nothing to do with a special edition of a newspaper. This "extra" deals with something that may puzzle you. This "extra" refers to the passionflower vine (Passiflora), the host plant of the Gulf Fritillary butterfly (Agraulis vanillae).

You may not like spiders. You may have Arachnophobia, a fear of spiders, or maybe you just dislike all spiders. But still, some spiders are spectacular. Stunning. Striking. Take the redfemured spotted orbweaver, Neoscona domiciliorum.

When you're capturing images of butterflies, seconds count. They're unpredictable. They move from fluttering to fleeting. And just when you're focused on where they are, they aren't there anymore.