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
Flame skimmer dragonfly, Libellula saturata, perched on a stick in a meadow. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Rhyming Prose: The Hunting Behavior of Dragonflies...

May 15, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 You've seen dragonflies perched in meadows  but have you ever witnessed their hunting behavior?You won't want to miss the Bohart Museum of Entomology open house on Saturday, May 16 when UC Davis doctoral candidate and dragonfly expert Christofer Brothers shares his rhyming prose on dragonflies.He…
View Article
Primary Image
Bao-Lam Huynh at his lab at UC Riverside (Photo by UC Riverside)

Nematodes vs. Cowpeas

May 14, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 An expert on the battle between root-knot nematodes and cowpeas will present a seminar hosted by the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology on Wednesday, May 20.Plant breeder, geneticist and nematologist Bao-Lam Huynh of UC Riverside will speak on "Genetic Analysis and Marker-Assisted…
View Article
Primary Image
A colony of honey bees.

Show Me the Honey--And the Bees!

May 13, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 UC Davis honey bee scientists will "bee" out in force this weekend at the annual California Honey Festival. This event is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, May 16, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday, May 17,  at the Yolo County Fairgrounds, 1250 E. Gum Ave, Woodland. Admission is free.UC…
View Article
Primary Image
Oranges in a grocery store. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Ag Pests and Climate Warming

May 12, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 A team of nine researchers led by UC Davis entomologist Mia Lippey published an important paper today on climate warming and the effect on agricultural pests.The work, “Field Data Challenge Predictions of Universal Crop Pest Proliferation under Warming,” appearing in the Proceedings of the National…
View Article
Primary Image
Megachile fidelis on Tithonia

Learn About Native Bees at Bohart Museum Open House

May 11, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 The Bohart Museum of Entomology at UC Davis is the place to "bee" on Saturday afternoon, May 16--especially if you want to learn more about native bees noted book authors Krystle Hickman and Felicity Muth.That's when the Bohart will host a open house, themed "Buzz Words: Insects in Literature," from 1…
View Article