Bug Squad

Ever seen honey bees foraging for water on your outdoor clothesline? When Extension apiculturist Eric Mussen of the University of California, Davis, addresses beekeeping associations, he tells them to "always provide water for your bees on your property.

If you're not around the University of California, Davis, on Sunday morning, Sept. 29, you should be. You'll want to join the Butterfly Ecology Talk and Tour presented by naturalist Steve Daubert.

Oh, what serious webs they weave. Perfect concentric circles. Perfect for snagging prey. Perfect for capturing a few photographic images. Orb weavers take on the classic shape popularized by Charlotte the spider in E.B. White's children's book, Charlotte's Web.

So here you are, a Gulf Fritillary caterpillar, chowing down on the leaves of a passionflower vine.

The world's "100 Most Endangered Species" are back in the news again, and well they should be.