- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Born in Tonbridge, England, but a resident of Canada since 1945, Jeremy received his bachelor's degree in zoology, with honors, from the University of Western Ontario in 1969, and his doctorate in entomology and ecology from North Carolina State University in 1972. He served as a professor at Western Ontario from 2004 until his death.
"Jeremy died as he lived, tenacious and determined to the last--qualities that served him well as he blazed a trail through life," according to his obituary in Legacy.com. "He was recognised internationally as an eminent research scientist, publishing hundreds of papers, holding many positions of distinction and receiving countless accolades and awards. These include, among many others, President of the Royal Society of Canada, the Humboldt Research Fellowship in Germany, and the Order of Canada for his services to education. He was a passionate and enthusiastic educator his whole life, an ambassador equally at ease with everyone from VIPs to children."
"He received several national awards for his outreach activities, often saying the publication that he was most proud of was What is an Insect?, a children's book he co-wrote with Let's Talk Science which has been translated into five languages, and is used as a teaching aid in schools across Canada."
The professor, fondly nicknamed "The Bug Man," treasured his 500 (plus) insect-themed T-shirts, his favorite attire. One of them was "The Beetles," the all-time best seller designed and sold by the UC Davis Entomology Graduate Student Association. Mimicking The Beatles (George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and John Lennon) crossing Abbey Road in a single file, the t-shirt depicts four beetles sauntering across the road. Beneath each beetle image is the family name: Phengogidae, Curculionidae, Cerambycidae and Scarabaeidae. Think glowworm beetles, snout beetles, long-horned beetles and scarab beetles.
"If you look closely," we wrote in a Bug Squad blog posted Dec. 4, 2023, "these UC Davis beetles are all wearing clothes--maybe designer clothes designed just for them? Three are barefoot, and one, the long-horned beetle, is wearing shoes. EGSA records don't indicate who designed The Beetles, but it's a keeper. It never fails to draw smiles. (EGSA sells this t-shirt and others at https://ucdavisentgrad.square.site.)
But back to Jeremy O'Neil and his love of insect-themed T-shirts. On July 26, his friend and colleague, UC Davis distinguished professor Walter Leal, recently elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences, posted an image on X (formerly Twitter) of McNeil wearing his UC Davis Beetles T-shirt. "Jeremy McNeil (Nov. 20, 1944 – July 18, 2024) had 500+ entomology-themed T-shirts, but this is--without a doubt--the number one! I am slightly biased because I like beetles in the family Scarabaeidae, not because I'm a @ucdavis faculty of course."
According to Legacy.com, all of McNeil's t-shirts will be "catalogued and sold to raise money for charity."
Jeremy Nichol McNeil would have loved that--but maybe not quite as much as he loved entomology and inspiring others to learn about insect science.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Insects--their beauty, their structure, their diversity--are inspiring noted fashion designers, but those fashion designers are way, way behind the UC Davis Entomology Graduate Students' Association (EGSA).
EGSA members are graduate student totally into bugs. They study them, research them and wear them. And yes, some do eat them. Can you say "chocolate chirp cookies? (made with cricket flour)?"
Every year EGSA conducts a t-shirt contest and the faculty, staff and students pick the winner. The good news is that the t-shirts--past and present--are for sale all year around, but folks take a special interest in them during the holiday season. Stocking stuffers!
The Beatles? Think The Beetles.
Instead of the English rock band John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Star crossing Abbey Road in single file (that's the iconic image on the cover of their album, Abbey Road), think of The Beetles (four insects) crossing Abbey Road in single file. Beneath the images of the beetles are their family names: Phengogidae, Curculionidae, Cerambycidae and Scarabaeidae. Think glowworm, snout, long-horned, and scarab beetles.
If you're not partial to beetles, how about honey bees, wasps, and "Entomology's Most Wanted?"
You're in luck.
"This year we are discounting some of our old designs from $15 to $10!" announced the officers, headed by Ph.D student and ant specialist Brendon Boudinot of the Phil Ward lab. "Order by Dec. 15th for delivery within the United States by the 23rd. If you are on campus and would like to pick up the shirt instead, please do not pay for shipping online and email Emily Bick at enbick@ucdavis.edu (of the Christian Nansen lab) to schedule pick up. The online store will close on Dec. 17th until early January." The prices range from $10 to $15 to $17. Access their online store: https://mkt.com/UCDavisEntGrad/
It's for a good cause: helping the graduate students. The added bonus, you get to "bug" your friends, family and colleagues when you wear these t-shirts.