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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. 

The Most Dangerous Animal on the Planet

March 18, 2016
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
What's the most dangerous animal on the planet? No, not rhinos, cape buffaloes, hippos, lions, elephants, crocodiles or sharks. It's an insect, the blood-sucking mosquito. Mosquitoes that transmit malaria, including Anopheles gambiae, kill more than people than any other animal on the planet.
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Lynn Kimsey: Distinguished Public Service

March 15, 2016
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
They fondly call her "The Wasp Woman" in reference to her specialty. She is a recognized expert on aculeate wasps and works with some of the most difficult groups, including tiphiids and chrysidids.
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A Bee Is a Bee Is a Bee,,,

March 14, 2016
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
If poet Gertrude Stein were alive today, she might say "A bee is a bee is a bee" instead of "a rose is a rose is a rose." Or, she might say "A fly is a fly is a fly." Oh, my.
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