Bug Squad

A bee sting can be sweet. Especially when the result is an auction item. Take the case of "The Sting," a memorable lunch-hour photo that went viral. Extension apiculturist Eric Mussen and I were walking through the apiary of the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr.

The Asian soybean aphid is not exactly a household word. As its name implies, it's native to Asia. It was first detected in North America in Wisconsin in July 2000. Technically, its Aphis glycines Matsumura. In lay language, that's spelled "p-e-s-t.

Ooh, a walking stick! Look! Its eating a leaf. Ooh, look at the dung beetles. Those were some of the comments overheard at the Bohart Museum of Entomologys recent open house, themed Beauty and the Beetles.

So, you want to know more about butterflies and art, and the link between art and science. Youre in luck.

Of the many things I'm thankful for on this Thanksgiving Day, I am thankful for the millions of insects that populate our planet. Scientists have described more than a million species, but there may be 10 million more undescribed. I am thankful for honey bees.