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.

Bug Squad: Article

Festooning

April 6, 2011

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

That old saying, "Be all you can be," should be changed to "Bee all you can bee.

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BRUCE HAMMOCK, distinguished professor of entomology at UC Davis, in his habitat on the garden level of Briggs Hall. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Bug Squad: Article

From Moths to Medicine

April 5, 2011

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

From moths to medicine... When distinguished professor Bruce Hammock of the UC Davis Department of Entomology speaks at the department's noonhour seminar tomorrow (Wednesday, April 6) in 122 Briggs Hall, his topic is sure to draw attention.

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HONEY BEES work the almonds at the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility at UC Davis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Bee-ing There for the Vote

April 4, 2011

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

Beekeepers with more than 50 colonies and who do business in California will soon have the opportunity to help support honey bee research.

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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

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

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

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

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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