Bug Squad

Just call them "snuggle bugs." Or "snuggle bees." After spending the day chasing the girls and defending their patch of Mexican sunflowers or Tithonia, a cluster of Melissodes robustior males settled down for the night. Their bed last night: a Tithonia leaf curl. Before that, some lavender stems.

Hurray for the red, white and blue! One more day until we celebrate the birth of our country, Independence Day, and the patriotic colors will be out in force. Insects, also, can be red, white and blue. Take the red flameskimmer dragonfly (Libellula saturata).

They're good bees. You can take that to the bank! The excitement began when Martin Guerena, an integrated pest management (IPM) specialist with the City of Davis, encountered a native bee nesting site Wednesday in front of the U.S. Bank, corner of 3rd and F streets, Davis.

Beekeepers don't like their "girls" foraging in California buckeye (Aesculus californica) It's poisonous to bees.

It's sort of like "The Beauty and the Beast." Or "The Pollinator and the Pest." A gorgeous Western Tiger swallowtail (Papilio rutulus), seeking nectar from a butterfly bush, touched down and began to feed. It didn't take long for the butterfly to spot a stink bug crawling on top of the blossom.