Bug Squad

A daily (M-F) blog launched Aug. 6, 2008 and about the wonderful world of insects and those who study them. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Primary Image
Potato capsid, Closterotomus norvegicus, feeding on a chrysanthemum blossom. It also feeds on nettle, clover and cannabis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bug Squad: Article

Fancy Meeting You Here, Mr. Potato Capsid

July 5, 2024
One potato, two potato, three potato, four... You never know what will pop up in a pollinator garden. Meet Mr. Potato Capsid, Closterotomus norvegicus, often found on nettle, potato, clover and cannabis.
View Article
Primary Image
It's early morning, and a soldier beetle stirs in a Vacaville garden. A beneficial insect, it eats aphids and other soft-bodied insects. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bug Squad: Article

Why Soldier Beetles Deserve the Aphid Belt

July 4, 2024
It's the Fourth of July and what better time to post images of the aptly name "soldier beetles" than today. These insects (family Cantharidae) resemble the uniforms of the British soldiers of the American Revolution, which is apparently how their name originated.
View Article
Primary Image
A cabbage white butterfly nectaring on lavender in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bug Squad: Article

Cinderella and the White Cabbage Butterfly

July 2, 2024
If Cinderella were a butterfly, she'd probably be a white cabbage butterfly, Pieris rapae. The butterfly--in its larval stage it's a pest of cucurbits--is stunning as an adult. Just think of a flowing white gown, exquisite pirouettes, and a flutter like no other.
View Article