Bug Squad

It was bound to happen. Not all monarch butterflies that you rear will make it. Such was this case this week with when two monarchs eclosed, both crippled and struggling to survive.

Moviegoers are anxious to see the long-awaited "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," which officially opens Dec. 18. But the Linnaean Games are also a force to be reckoned with-- for those who study insect science or who want to study insect science.

Extension apiculturist emeritus Eric Mussen of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, "retired" in June of 2014 after 38 years of service but his phone and keyboard at Briggs Hall gather no dust. The honey bee guru continues to answer a range of questions.

Is the overwintering monarch butterfly population along California's coast increasing or decreasing? "So far, far the picture is rather mixed for the number of monarchs in California," according to Matthew Shepherd, communications director for the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

If you're missing the warmth of summer and watching butterflies flutter around your garden, sometimes it's good to back pedal. We were looking through our zinnia photos today and came across a Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae) spreading its wings on two different zinnias.