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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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Lady beetles, aka ladybugs, "keeping busy." (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

'Insect Wedding Photography' at Bohart Museum Open House

May 12, 2025
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 When the Bohart Museum of Entomology hosts its open house on Sunday, May 18, expect to see some "insect wedding photography."In other words, when insects "get busy."The theme: "Insects: Life Stages."The event, free and family friendly, takes place from 1 to 4 p.m. in Room 1124 of the Academic Surge…
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Queen bee of the hive. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A Queen on Mother's Day

May 9, 2025
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 If you were a honey bee queen, you'd be laying eggs all day on Mother's Day (not to mention the other days!).You'd be the mother of all the bees in the hive.During the peak season, the queen can lay up to 1500 to 2000 eggs a day. That can amount to about 50,000 to 80,000 workers (sterile females) and…
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Anise swallowtail caterpillar. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

UC Davis Groundbreaking Research Began with Caterpillars

May 8, 2025
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 Groundbreaking research that began with how caterpillars stay young drew acclamation and applause when the UC Davis School of Medicine (SOM) hosted its 2025 Convergence Research Celebration, held in the UC Davis Conference Center.The joint TEDx presentation, “Staying Young, Feeling Younger, and Slowing…
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A bumble bee, Bombus vosnesenski, foraging on Echium at Bodega Bay. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Bumble Bees of Bodega Bay

May 7, 2025
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 Where are all the bumble bees?This spring they seem quite scarce in Solano and Yolo County gardens, but a trip to Bodega Bay, Sonoma County, reveals different results.They're all over the Pride of Madeira (Echium candicans), a species in the family Boraginaceae, and genus Echium, native to the island…
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Thriving tomato plants. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

'Knot' What You Want in Your Tomato Plants

May 6, 2025
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 If you grow tomatoes, you may have encountered root-knot nematodes."Knot" what you want.USDA-ARS research plant pathologist William Rutter will speak on "Investigating the Mechanisms that Underlie Host Plant Resistance Against Root-Knot Nematodes" at a seminar hosted by the UC Davis Department of…
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