- (Focus Area) Natural Resources
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
One potato, two potato, three potato, four...
You never know what will pop up in a pollinator garden.
Meet Mr. Potato Capsid, Closterotomus norvegicus, often found on nettle, potato, clover and cannabis.
We spotted him (or her) in a Vacaville pollinator garden, where there is no nettle, potato, clover or cannabis. But it also feeds on chrysanthemum, carrots and members of the sunflower family, Asteraceae.
It popped up on a chrysanthemum blossom. The insect is green and probably a nymph as the color changes, when it's an adult, to reddish brown.
It belongs to the family Miridae. Entomologists point out that this family is the largest of true bugs belonging to the suborder Heteroptera.
At first we thought it was a lygus bug, which is also a myrid and a serious pest of cotton, strawberry and alfalfa.
But no, a potato capsid, an insect originating in the Mediterranean region. It prefers to feed on flowers, buds and unripe fruit.
Same family, though.
![Potato capsid, Closterotomus norvegicus, feeding on a chrysanthemum blossom. It also feeds on nettle, clover and cannabis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) Potato capsid, Closterotomus norvegicus, feeding on a chrysanthemum blossom. It also feeds on nettle, clover and cannabis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/107720.jpg)
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
It's the Fourth of July and what better time to post images of the aptly name "soldier beetles" than today.
These insects (family Cantharidae) resemble the uniforms of the British soldiers of the American Revolution, which is apparently how their name originated. They're also called "leatherwings" in reference to their soft, leatherylike wing covers.
Like lady beetles, aka ladybugs, these soldier beetles make short work of aphids and other soft-bodied insects. We've seen them devour so many aphids on our plants that they should be awarded the Aphid Belt, similar to Joey Chestnut's famed Mustard Belt.
Indeed, soldier beetles are eating machines, just like Joey.
Wikipedia describes Joey Chestnut (who, by the way, grew up in Vallejo, Solano County), as an "American competitive eater" ranked No. 1 in the world by Major League Eating. In addition to hot dog-eating contests, Chestnut has won contests devouring pizza, wontons, chicken wings, and corned beef sandwiches. And even poutine (french fries and cheese curds, topped with brown gravy).
No aphids, yet, though. Not even sprinkled on pizza slices.
![It's early morning, and a soldier beetle stirs in a Vacaville garden. A beneficial insect, it eats aphids and other soft-bodied insects. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) It's early morning, and a soldier beetle stirs in a Vacaville garden. A beneficial insect, it eats aphids and other soft-bodied insects. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/107702.jpg)
![Are the Red Coats coming? No, but this soldier beetle is alert. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) Are the Red Coats coming? No, but this soldier beetle is alert. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/107703.jpg)
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
247 years!
The seven faculty members honored at the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology's recent retirement luncheon amassed an amazing 247 years of service:
- UC Davis distinguished professor James Carey, 44 years, faculty member since 1980. He retired in June.
- UC Davis distinguished professor Richard Karban, 42 years, faculty member since 1982. He retired in June.
- UC Davis distinguished professor emerita Lynn Kimsey, 35 years, faculty member since 1989. She retired Feb. 1, 2024.
- Robert Kimsey, adjunct professor, 35 years, faculty member since 1989. He retired in June
- UC Davis distinguished professor Jay Rosenheim, 34 years, faculty member since 1990. He retired in June.
- UC Davis distinguished professor Diane Ullman, 29 years, faculty member since 1995. She retired in June.
- Sharon Lawler, professor emerita, 28 years, faculty member since 1995. She retired in January 2023.
Read about them on our UC Davis Entomology and Nematology website, with links to individual stories. You may have interacted with one or more of them through their research, teaching or public service.
As molecular geneticist and physiologist Joanna Chiu, professor and chair of the department, said prior to the retirement luncheon: “Our retiring faculty will leave behind some very big shoes to fill. “They have set the bar very high for all of us with their passion to lifelong scientific exploration, perseverance to achieve intellectual and mentoring excellence, and dedication to the department, UC Davis, and external stakeholders. We are so proud to call them colleagues and mentors and they will no doubt continue to inspire us to carry on their legacy. It is with our most sincere appreciation that we wish all of them the best in their new endeavors and adventures in this next chapter of their lives."
247 years of service!
![UC Davis distinguished professor James R. Carey, 44 years of service (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) UC Davis distinguished professor James R. Carey, 44 years of service (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/107695.jpg)
![UC Davis distinguished professor Richard UC Davis distinguished professor Richard](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/107696.jpg)
![UC Davis distinguished professor emerita Lynn Kimsey, 35 years of service. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) UC Davis distinguished professor emerita Lynn Kimsey, 35 years of service. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/107697.jpg)
![Robert Kimsey, adjunct professor, 35 years of service (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) Robert Kimsey, adjunct professor, 35 years of service (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/107698.jpg)
![UC Davis distinguished professor Jay Rosenheim, 34 years of service. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) UC Davis distinguished professor Jay Rosenheim, 34 years of service. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/107699.jpg)
![UC Davis distinguished professor Diane Ullman, 29 years of service. (Photo by Jael Mackendorf) UC Davis distinguished professor Diane Ullman, 29 years of service. (Photo by Jael Mackendorf)](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/107700.jpg)
![Professor emerita Sharon Lawler, 28 years of service. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey at UC Davis Picnic Day) Professor emerita Sharon Lawler, 28 years of service. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey at UC Davis Picnic Day)](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/107701.jpg)
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
If Cinderella were a butterfly, she'd probably be a white cabbage butterfly, Pieris rapae.
The butterfly--in its larval stage it's a pest of cucurbits--is stunning as an adult. Just think of a flowing white gown, exquisite pirouettes, and a flutter like no other.
If you've ever tried to photograph a white cabbage butterfly, it's not all that easy. They are fast and fleeting. One minute they're on the lavender and the next minute they're not. One minute they're on the catmint and then...
Where did they go?
With a fast shutter speed, though, you can sometimes catch them in flight.
When Cinderella left the ballroom at the stroke of midnight (she should listened to her Fairy Godmother and kept better track of her time!) her carriage turned back into a pumpkin, the footmen into lizards, the coachman into a rat, and her dress turned back into rags.
Just as her Fairy Godmother warned.
But the finely, timely P. rapae just flutters away--white flowing gown intact...unless snagged by a predator.
![A cabbage white butterfly nectaring on lavender in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) A cabbage white butterfly nectaring on lavender in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/107641.jpg)
![Caught in flight--a cabbage white butterfly, Pieris rapae, leaves a lavender blossom. Image taken with a Nikon Z8 and 105mm Nikon lens. Settings: shutter speed, 1/3200 of a second; f-stop, 3: and ISO, 800. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) Caught in flight--a cabbage white butterfly, Pieris rapae, leaves a lavender blossom. Image taken with a Nikon Z8 and 105mm Nikon lens. Settings: shutter speed, 1/3200 of a second; f-stop, 3: and ISO, 800. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/107642.jpg)
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Ever seen the male longhorned bees, Melissodes agilis, zipping around your garden, trying to bump all critters, large and small, off of "their" blossoms? They own them, ya' know.
These male bees are SO territorial. We've seen them target honey bees, bumble bees, carpenter bees, syrphid flies, spiders and praying mantises. And one another. Everything is fair game.
"They're saving the flowers for the females of their species, so they can mate with them," according to the late Robbin Thorp (1933-2019), UC Davis distinguished emeritus professor, Department of Entomology and Nematology.
But as dusk settles, there they are, the boys sleeping together in what Thorp called "The Boys' Night Out." The females return to their nests and the males "snuggle" together on lavender, sunflowers or whatever blossom suits them.
If you try to photograph them during the day when they're being territorial, you'll need to set your shutter speed at around 1/8000 of a second to freeze the action.
But if you try to photograph them at dawn or dusk when they're sleeping, it's so much easier. They begin to stir around dawn, as honey bees and bumble bees buzz by their sleeping quarters.
What's up, sleepy head?
![A horizontal view of male Melissodes bees sleeping on a lavender stem. Image taken just after dawn in a Vacaville pollinator garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) A horizontal view of male Melissodes bees sleeping on a lavender stem. Image taken just after dawn in a Vacaville pollinator garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/107599.jpg)
![What's up, sleepy head? A sleepy male Melissodes agilis bee begins to stir at dawn. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) What's up, sleepy head? A sleepy male Melissodes agilis bee begins to stir at dawn. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/107600.jpg)