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.

A camouflaged jumping spider eyes a honey bee on Japanese anemone. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Bumble Bees and Spiders Don't Mix?

July 25, 2014

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

Bumble bees and spiders don't mix, you say? Well, they will at the Bohart Museum of Entomology's open house from 1 to 4 p.m., Saturday, July 26. The family-centered event, free and open to the public, takes place in Room 1124 of the Academic Surge building on Crocker Lane, UC Davis campus.

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Anise swallowtail foraging on lantana. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

So Beautful, So Exquisite

July 24, 2014

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

There's something about seeing a butterfly that makes your eyes light up, your smile widen, and your feet feel like skipping. Nature's joy.

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Wax moth larvae and a hive beetle (top left). (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

It's National Moth Week!

July 23, 2014

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

It's National Moth Week! The event, which runs through Sunday, celebrates "the beauty, life cycles, and habitats of moths," according to its website. Scientists and citizen scientists are encouraged to document their findings. It's now a worldwide event.

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A jumping spider ready to jump. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Spiders and Spiders, Oh, My!

July 22, 2014

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

Odds are that Justin Timberlake won't be there. Neither will J. K. Rowling, author of the wildly popular Harry Potter series of books. They hate spiders. In fact, by all accounts, they have arachnophobia, an intense fear of spiders that affects some 3.5 to 6.1 percent of the U.S. population.

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Camouflaged praying mantis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Perfect Camouflage

July 21, 2014

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

What a perfect camouflage! Have you ever seen a green praying mantis hiding among the green growth in your garden? Concealed. Disguised. Camouflaged. The praying mantis is a patient insect.

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