Bug Squad

If your dog is well, a little chunky, you're probably accustomed to someone saying "Fido never misses a meal, does he?" Well, those little freeloader flies never miss a meal, either. They not only never miss a meal, but they're never late for dinner. First come, first served. Table for 12, please.

Her name is Sheridan Miller. If there's a human equivalent of a honey bee, she's it. She's a worker bee. We first met Sheridan Miller, 11, of Mill Valley when she visited the Harry H.Laidlaw Jr.

Monarch butterflies aren't the only insects that like milkweed. Honey bees, lady beetles and aphids, do, too. We found all three insects, plus a monarch butterfly, on our scarlet milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) today (Labor Day). Most of the insects were oleander aphids, which attract lady beetles.

You're walking through a park and suddenly spot a dragonfly perched on a stick. "What's that?" you ask. As you edge closer, it takes off. "Missed it!" Well, you won't want to miss the Bohart Museum of Entomology's open house on Sunday, Sept.

Whether you call them "praying" mantis or "preying" mantis, one thing is for sure: they are difficult to find.