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.

SOLITARY SOAPBERRY BUG climbs a tree in the UC Davis Arboretum, a good place for nature walks and insect observations. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

It Might as Well Be...Spring

March 3, 2009

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

If you like to take nature walks and lean against an occasional tree, you might rub shoulders with a red-eyed, red-shouldered bug. On warm, springlike days, soapberry bugs are exploring their territories--and doing what comes naturally.

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Honey bee nectaring Claremont pink currant (Ribes sanguineum var. glutinosum 'Claremont') (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Plan Bee

March 2, 2009

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

Scottish poet Robert Burns (1759-1796) lamented in his poem To a Mouse (1786) that The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. He had just plowed into a mouse nest on his farm. The loss of life disturbed him.

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QUEEN BUMBLE BEE--The queen bumble bees are out again, after overwintering. Entomologist Lynn Kimsey found this young queen in Briggs Hall on the UC Davis campus yesterday. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Humble Bumble Bee

February 27, 2009

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

A sure sign of approaching spring... As the cold weather subsides, out come the overwintering queen bumble bees. They're gathering nectar and pollen, building their nests and laying eggs.

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NEWBORN BEE--A newborn bee at the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility at UC Davis struggles to right herself. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A Wonderful Gift

February 26, 2009

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

It's a wonderful gift. Hagen-Dazs last December committed $125,000 to the UC Davis Department of Entomology to establish a bee friendly garden at the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility, and today, the winner of the design competition takes center stage. The winner...drum roll, please..

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These picture-winged flies were captured in Birds Landing in mid-February and popped into a jar for identification. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Picture Perfect?

February 25, 2009

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

Lots of them, but what are they? Vacaville residents Mark and Julie Vasquez began finding little flies in Birds Landing, near Rio Vista, in late January 2009. Their numbers are increasing rapidly. Theyre everywhere, said Mark.

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