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.

Ladybugs and soldier beetles--along with their prey, aphids--on a plum tree. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Love Bugs

April 13, 2011

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

"You can never be too rich, too young, too blonde or too thin," a quote often attributed to Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor. Well, you can never have too many ladybugs, aka lady beetles, in your garden. These colorful beetles devour aphids and other soft-bodied insects.

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Beetle display at the Bohart Museum of Entomology. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

This Bug's for You

April 12, 2011

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

So you like bugs... C'mon, just a little bit? If so, you're in luck. The UC Davis Department of Entomology is featuring scores of insects from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 16 as part of the campuswide Picnic Day.

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Bombus melanopygus heading toward the Pride of Madeira, Echium candicans. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Bumble Bee at Bodega Bay

April 11, 2011

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

It's called the "Pride of Madeira" but don't let that name fool you. True, it's the pride of the Portuguese island of Madeira, where it's endemic, but it's also the joy of Bodega Bay. "What's that purplish spiked flower that grows somewhat like a yucca or a tower of jewels?" visitors ask.

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LADYBUGS converging on a plum tree leaf. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Why We Love Ladybugs

April 8, 2011

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

There's a good reason why lady beetles, aka ladybugs, are prevalent this time of year: aphids. Ladybugs, from the family Coccinellidae, are actually beetles with voracious appetites for those soft-bodied insects that suck plant juices. Wherever there are aphids, you'll usually see ladybugs.

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SOLDIER BEETLE, perched on a plum tree leaf, checks it surroundings. It's an avid aphid-eater. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Leather Wings

April 7, 2011

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

Some call them "soldier beetles." Some call them "leather-winged beetles." Some call them "Cantharids" (family Cantharidae). Whatever you call them, be sure to welcome them to your garden. They eat aphids, lots of aphids. Like the good soldiers they are, they're ready to do battle.

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