Bug Squad

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.

Fish-eye view of a banded garden spider (Argiope trifasciata) with prey. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Greed or Need?

September 14, 2015

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

Talk about greed. Talk about gluttony. How much food does a banded garden spider (Argiope trifasciata) need? For 30 minutes, we watched a well-fed banded garden spider catch bee after bee in its sticky web that it had cleverly anchored between two lavender plants.

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Mating praying mantids on sedum. The male looks like a thin blade of grass. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Nobody Lost Their Head Today

September 11, 2015

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

Nobody lost their head today. Oh, in the people world, all across our nation's workplaces, they did. Eyes rolled, tempers flared, outbursts erupted and some angry assailants went into what my ol' journalism professor aptly described as "a blithering rage.

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A Monarch nectaring on a butterfly bush. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Monarchs on the Move

September 10, 2015

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

The Monarchs are on the move. In the late summer and early fall, the Monarchs (Danaus plexippus) head for the California coastline or central Mexico to overwinter. "Monarchs west of the Rocky Mountains travel to small groves of trees along the California coast," according to Monarchwatch.org.

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A banded garden spider (Argiope trifasciata) wraps a bee. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Freeloaders Never Miss a Meal

September 9, 2015

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

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.

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Beekeeper Brian Fishback helping Sheridan Miller with her hive. (Photo by Craig Miller)

Sheridan Miller: A Tireless Worker Bee

September 8, 2015

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

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.

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