Bug Squad

What's not to like about a bug? And there are more of them to like than you think! About a million described species of insects inhabit our planet. That's about 80 percent of the world's species, scientists say.

If you collect insect specimens, can you spare a leg? It's for science.

It was good to see Sonoma County's "Queen Bee," Ettamarie Peterson of Petaluma, bee honored on the cover of the December edition of Bee Culture magazine. She often submits articles for the magazine. I decided it was time her to be featured and wrote a two-page article, illustrated with six images.

Ever noticed that when yellow-faced bumble bees, Bombus vosnesenskii, forage in lupine that their pollen is red? Last July when we were camping at Bodega Bay, we delighted in watching the bumble bees foraging in the lupine.

That UC Davis beetle T-shirt is NOT more popular than The Beatles, but it sure is a big hit, both here and across the pond.