Bug Squad

How many times have you walked around the University of California, Davis campus on a weekend and wished: "If only those buildings were open--I'd love to see what's inside!" Well, on Saturday, Feb. 8 your wish will come true.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, what is a mural worth? Priceless--if it's a mural of a realistic monarch butterfly, teasing you with a strip of masking tape, a chunk of a child's lined notebook paper, and a stack of rich, textured heritage bricks.

Why is that in a honey bee colony, workers can carry pollen but not the queen? Well, scientists from Michigan State University and Wayne State University have discovered the answer.

Battus philenor! Battus philenor! Butterfly expert Art Shapiro, distinguished professor of evolution and ecology, excitedly points to a Pipevine Swallowtail nectaring on roadside radish.

As the world mourned the Jan. 27th death of 94-year-old folk singer Pete Seeger and hummed his signature song, "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?", the question has now turned to: "Where Have All the Monarchs Gone?" The monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) is in trouble.