Bug Squad

You've heard the expression, "wasp waist," in reference to someone's tiny waist? Well, all you need do is look at the waist of the mud dauber wasp, Sceliphron caementarium, and you'll see where that expression originated.

What a wonderful gift! Bee research at the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr.

The headline drew us in: "Bees Age Faster When They Raise Offspring." It came from ScienceNow, the online edition of Science Magazine.

The buzz around UC Davis is about "The Wings of Life." The Disneynature film, narrated by Meryl Streep, will be part of the "Evening of Inspiration" on Wednesday, July 24 at the UC Davis Conference Center, 550 Alumni Lane. Sponsoring the event, to be held from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

What a beauty. But not nearly as striking as her male counterpart. The flame skimmer dragonfly (Libellula saturata) owned a perch on a bamboo stake last Tuesday in residential Davis.