Bug Squad

A brilliant sunflower clinging to the red ring of autumn. And here comes a common sunflower bee, Melissodes agilis (this is a female, as identified by native pollinator specialist Robbin Thorp, emeritus professor of entomology at the University of California, Davis.

Great to see the Wall Street Journal feature bee breeder-geneticist Susan Cobey in its Oct. 1st piece, "A Scientist Teaches Drones and Queens the Birds and the Bees." Sue Cobey is world renowned for her work in trying "to build a better bee.

To bee or not to bee? That was not the question. There was no question. The answer was "yes" before the event began. When visiting bee scientist Jakub Gabka of Warsaw, Poland, studied at the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr.

No, it's not a honey bee. But many people think all floral visitors are bees. It's a fly. A drone fly. Family: Syrphidae; subfamily Eristalinae; tribe Eristalini; genus, Eristalis. Like all syrphids, it has two wings. The honey bee has four.

(Editor's Note: Due to the government shutdown, this seminar has been cancelled.) It's a topic we've all been waiting for: "Honey Bee Health and Disease Resistance.