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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. Feedspot lists it as one of the top entomology blogs on the Internet. 

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Monach butterfly nectaring on Tithonia (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Collecting Wildlife in California

May 19, 2025
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 Scientific stakeholders who collect wildlife in their fieldwork in California and rely on scientific collecting permits from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) are invited to a virtual forum on Friday, May 23 at 3 p.m. (Pacific Time)."This forum is an opportunity to hear updates, ask…
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Bumble bees, Bombus vosnesenskii, entering their nest in Vallejo, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Native Bees to Share Spotlight at Bohart Museum Open House

May 16, 2025
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 UC Davis doctoral candidate Alexia “Lexie” Martin of the laboratory of Rachel Vannette, associate professor and vice chair of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, will be displaying bee life stages at the Bohart Museum of Entomology open house on Sunday, May 18.The event, free and…
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Crane flies mating. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

From Metamorphosis to Maggot Art at the Bohart

May 15, 2025
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 Visitors attending the Bohart Museum of Entomology open house themed  "Insects: Life Stages" on Sunday, May 18, will see everything from metamorphosis to maggot art. The event, free and family friendly, takes place from 1 to 4 p.m. in Room 1124 of the Academic Surge Building, 455 Crocker Lane…
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Large cicada basking in the sun, Wellington, New Zealand. (Photo by Tony Wills, Wikipedia)

UC Davis Postdoc to Share Research on 'Singing Cicadas'

May 14, 2025
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 Ever heard a singing cicada? Want to know more about them?UC Davis postdoctoral scholar Mark Stukel will present a seminar on his research involving "the singing cicadas" at the next UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology seminar.Stukel will speak on "From New Zealand Hybridization to…
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Demonstrating grafting. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

CAMBP Hosting These Fantastic Bee Classes

May 13, 2025
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 If you're a beekeeper, mark your calendar! You may want to attend one or both of these two classes offered by the UC Davis-based California Master Beekeeper Program (CAMBP)  on queen-rearing techniques and instrumental insemination. Both will be held in the E. L. Niño Lab…
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