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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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UC Davis Distinguished Professor Bruce Hammock and Christophe Morisseau

The International Legacy of Bruce Hammock

September 11, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 The international legacy of UC Davis Distinguished Professor Bruce Hammock (1947-2026)...A Brazilian-UC Davis scientific network that collaborated with the  Hammock lab on his pioneering soluble epoxide hydrolase research, recently authored a  mini-review of their accomplishments in Science…
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A native bee at the UC Davis Student Farm Ecological Garden

Explore Biodiversity at UC Davis Student Farm Ecological Garden

September 10, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 If you're looking to celebrate California Biodiversity Day...The UC Davis Student Farm Ecological Garden, also known as "The Eco Garden," will be the site of a California Biodiversity Day event on Saturday, Sept. 12 from 9 a.m. to noon.  It's free and family friendly. The half-acre garden is…
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Proposed California State Bee

What Species Won the CalNBS State Bee Contest?

September 9, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 What species won the California Native Bee Society's statewide public contest for California's official State Bee, to be considered by the State Legislature?Drum roll...the California Fairy Bee (Perdita californica), a member of the family Andrenidae. Among the leading contenders:California bumble…
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Walter Leal with research image behind him

Well-Deserved Honor

September 8, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
  What a well-deserve honor to see UC Davis Distinguished Professor Walter Leal receive the 2026 Applied Chemical Ecology Award from the International Society of Chemical Ecology (ISCE) for his applied research targeting insect pests that damage plants, spread diseases, and destroy crops. Leal…
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European wool carder bee about to enter a snapdragon blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Oh, Snap!

September 7, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 If you want to draw European wool carder bees to your garden, plant snapdragons.The males of this species are known as "the bullies of the garden" or "bopper bees" because they are quite territorial; they target or body-slam any and everything that's occupying "their" blossoms. (The late UC Davis…
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