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)

THIS MUTANT BEE, rarely found in the beekeeping world, is often called a "cyclops" bee. It has the head of a drone (note the wrap-around eyes or eyes that meet at the top of the head) and the body of a worker, complete with pollen baskets and a stinger. This one, about to take flight, is on the hand of bee breeder-geneticist Susan Cobey, who spotted it in a Glenn County queen-production business. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Part Drone, Part Worker Bee

April 1, 2011

Very rare. Very rare, indeed. It has the eyes of a drone and the body of a worker bee. And no, this is not science fiction. It's a mutant honey bee. "They're not totally uncommon," said Extension apiculturist Eric Mussen of the UC Davis Department of Entomology. "But they're there.

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MALARIA MOSQUITO, Anopheles gambiae, blood-feeding. This photo was taken by Anthony Cornel, associate professor of entomology at UC Davis.

World Malaria Day at UC Davis

March 31, 2011

Mark your calendars for a sobering experience. The University of California,Davis, will observe World Malaria Day with a daylong retreat showcasing UC Davis scientists current research in vector biology and genetics. The event, free and open to the public, will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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RESEARCHER Ian Pearse, a doctoral candidate who studies with major professor Rick Karban at the UC Davis Department of Entomology, examines some oak apple galls. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A Lot of Gall

March 30, 2011

Those oak trees (Quercus lobata) in Californias Central Valley have a lot of gall.

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COACH Larry Godfrey, Extension entomologist with the UC Davis Department of Entomology, calls out questions during a practice session. The graduate students (from left) are Matan Shelomi, Meredith Cenzer and Emily Symmes. Not pictured is James Harwood. The team just won the Linnaean Games at the Pacific Branch of the Entomological Society of America and will now compete in the nationals. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Sudden-Death Question

March 29, 2011

Quick! What's the answer to this question? "I am a blood feeder; I have no hair but have a comb.

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TINY EGG, a future honey bee queen, is moved from a comb to a queen cell cup at the Strachan Apiaries in Yuba City. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Queen Bee to Be

March 28, 2011

One of the highlights of Susan Cobey's class on "The Art of Queen Bee Rearing" is a visit to commercial queen bee breeders in Northern California. Cobey is a bee breeder-geneticist at the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility at UC Davis, and Washington State University.

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