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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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Carla-Cristina "CC" Edwards

Meet UC Davis Doctoral Candidate 'CC' Edwards, Medical Entomologist

August 11, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 There are only 24 hours in a day, but don't tell that to Carla-Cristina “CC” de Melo Edwards. Anyone looking at her curriculum vitae (CV) must wonder: How can one person accomplish all that mountain of mosquito research, leadership,  public service and outreach?Edwards, a doctoral candidate in the…
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Megachile fidelis

Meet the Candidates for Official State Bee of California

August 10, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 (Updated Aug. 12. Listen to President Jess Mullins' talk on YouTube) The state of California is home to more than 1600 bee species, but it lacks an official state bee.California has a state insect (California dogface butterfly), a state bird (California quail), a state fish (golden trout), a state…
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Professor Shahid Siddique

Congrats, Professor Shahid Siddique

August 7, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 Congratulations to UC Davis Professor Shahid Siddique of the Department of Entomology and Nematology on his appointment as the inaugural Howard Ferris Endowed Chair in Plant and Soil Nematology at UC Davis. "This is a is a tremendous privilege, and I look forward to advancing research, mentoring…
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Mantis in a yucca plant. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Mantis and the Yucca

August 6, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 Honey bees and other pollinators visit blooming yucca for the nectar.It's not a good source of nectar, like Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia), catmint (Nepeta), and lavender (Lavandula) are, but it's a source.But there it was, a male praying mantis, Mantis religiosa, in a yet-to-bloom young yucca…
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Neal Williams and a native bee
Bug Squad: Article

Congrats, ESA Fellow Neal Williams!

August 5, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 Congrats to Professor Neal Williams of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, a pollinator ecologist internationally recognized for his research on bee and pollination biology.He's is a newly elected Fellow of the Entomological Society of America (ESA). The ESA Governing Board elected…
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