Bug Squad

Welcome to the Bug Squad blog! The Bug Squad blog was launched Aug. 6, 2008 and is a daily blog (Monday through Friday). It showcases entomologists and the work they do. The blog focuses on scientists in the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, the Bohart Museum of Entomology, Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility, the UC Davis Bee Haven, and assorted campuswide events, including UC Davis Picnic Day, UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day, and Bohart Museum open houses. The blog spotlights insects, including bees, butterflies, dragonflies, and praying mantises, as well as arachnids such as jumping spiders and crab spiders. Author and photographer is Kathy Keatley Garvey, communications specialist, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, and a longtime journalist and community scientist with two degrees from Washington State University. She is a member of the Entomological Society of America (ESA) and the Association for Communication Excellence (ACE). Her blog posts and images have won international awards from ACE and ESA and appeared on journal and magazine covers. She shoots primarily with a Nikon Z-8 mirrorless camera, a Nikon D500 and Nikon 800, with assorted macro lenses. Feedspot lists it as one of the top entomology blogs on the Internet.

Ladybug, aka lady beetle, searching for aphids. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Luck Be a Lady

October 21, 2011

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

Photographers never tire of capturing images of ladybugs, aka lady beetles. First of all, they're beneficial insects. You know when you photograph them that they're about to scoot, crawl or fly off to grab a tasty lunch--an all-you-can-eat aphid buffet. Second, they're colorful.

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Noted insect photographer Alex Wild captured this spectacular image of sweat bees on sideoats grama. (Photo by Alex Wild and used with permission.)

Call of the (Alex) Wild

October 20, 2011

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

There are insect photographers and there are insect photographers. There are those who point and shoot, those who shoot and point, and those who see the world through a viewfinder. And then there's Illinois-based Alex Wild, who is in a class by himself.

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Spotted cucumber beetles crawls along a tangerine leaf. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A Flying Cucumber (Beetle)

October 19, 2011

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

You usually see them crawling around, but never about to fly. The Western spotted cucumber beetles (Diabrotica undecimpunctata) is one of California's most common insects. And though quite attractive in coloring, it's a major agricultural pest.

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Honey bee nectaring lavender. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

What's That Buzz?

October 18, 2011

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

Things are buzzing over at the Robert Mondavi Wine and Food Science on the University of California, Davis campus. The RMI folks are gearing up for the big Honey! event, set for 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 21 in the UC Davis Conference Center.

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Lygus bug (Lygus hesperus) is a major agricultural pest. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Targeting Lygus Bugs

October 17, 2011

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

If you've ever grown strawberries, you're probably familiar with what the lygus bug does. This major agricultural pest is one of the causes of those cat-faced strawberries you see in your garden or in the field. Cat-faced? Think misshapened, deformed or irregularly shaped berries.

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