Bug Squad

It was a perfect St. Patrick's Day--not just for the wearing of the green, but for the wearing of the orange. The Gulf Fritillary butterfly (Agraulis vanillae) arrived in our yard Sunday afternoon, March 16 and deposited an egg, just like E. Bunny will do soon.

It's a sure sign of spring when we see "the teddy bear bee." Native pollinator specialist Robbin Thorp, emeritus professor of entomology at the University of California, Davis, calls the male Valley carpenter bee (Xylocopa varipuncta) "the teddy bear bee." An apt description, to be sure.

It's truly amazing how the study of insect biology can lead to research that may benefit humankind. Take entomologist Bruce Hammock, distinguished professor of entomology at the University of California, Davis.

Ever watched an in-flight honey bee packing her load of pollen? A foraging bee carries her ball-like load of pollen on her hind legs and continually moistens it with a little nectar. The size and shape changes as she works.

It was a gorgeous day to be out in an almond orchard. Staff research associate Billy Synk of the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility, University of California, Davis was out tending the research bees earlier placed in two Dixon almond orchards.