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Bug Squad

Bug Squad blog image depicts a honey bee sting in action.

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. 

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Maggot art masterpieces drying on bulletin board.

Maggot Art: Let It Bee!

April 24, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 Can a honey bee participate in a maggot art activity?Yes, it can.  And yes, it did.When the UC Davis Entomology Graduate Student Association (EGSA) hosted its annual maggot art activity in the Briggs Hall courtyard during the 112th annual UC Davis Picnic Day, a worker bee seemed to want to join in…
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Mosquitoes under a microscope

Targeting Mosquitoes

April 23, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 "Mosquitoes are considered to be the deadliest animals on Earth because the diseases they transmit claim at least a million human lives every year globally."So wrote a young mosquito researcher in his research publication, "Linking Mosquito Ecology, Traits, Behavior, and Disease Transmission,"…
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A child holding a stick insect at Bohart Museum of Entomology.

Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho...

April 22, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 "Heigh ho, heigh ho, it's off to work we go..."That's a song from Walt Disney's 1937 animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, written by Frank Churchill (music) and Larry Morey (lyrics).But on Thursday, April 23, employees everywhere--including those at UC Davis--will be taking their offspring…
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A pipevine swallowtail in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

To Catch a Butterfly

April 21, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 To catch a butterfly....Keep your eye on the butterfly, step forward, and extend your net. "Ready? Here it comes!"That was the scene at the Bohart Museum of Entomology insect-netting demonstration at Briggs Hall during the 112th annual UC Davis PIcnic Day on Saturday, April 18. Hannah Petok, a…
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Honey bees at work inside the hive. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Engineering Honey Bee Gut Bacteria

April 20, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 This promises to be an interesting talk!Synthetic biologist Sean Leonard, research scientist at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory will present  "Engineering Honey Bee Gut Bacteria to Activate Immunity and Limit Pathogens" at his seminar hosted by the UC Davis Department of Entomology and…
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