- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Now, students who enroll in UC Davis biological sciences classes can come face to face with one of them every day.
Keller’s photo of a darkling beetle, Stenomorpha lecontei, graces the cover of the UC Davis edition of Life: The Science of Biology, by David Sadava, David Hillis, H. Craig Heller and May Berenbaum.
Keller captured the image of the beetle laying eggs in a vernal pool at the Carizzo Plain National Monument, San Luis Obispo County, Calif., while it was also eating pygmy weed, Crassula aquatic.
The book, published by Freeman Custom Publishing, New York City, and Sinauer Associates, Inc., Sunderland, Mass. is customized for use by UC Davis instructors.
"Beetles are awe inspiring because they are so different,” said Keller, who is completing her requirements this year for a doctorate in entomology this year. She studies with major professor Lynn Kimsey, director of the Bohart Museum of Entomology and professor of entomology.
“As a human, I and the 7 billion people on the planet are only one species, Homo sapiens," Keller said. "But the insect Order Coleoptera, or beetles, has more than 360,000 species. “Beetles have the greatest diversity of all the insects. Butterflies are big and showy, but beetles can be. too. On a ladybug, which is really a beetle and not a bug, those red and black spotted front wings are called elytra. Beetle elytra are not used for flying so beetles actually fly with one pair of wings. But those elytra help protect them because they can be very tough and sometimes incredibly flashy to warn off predators.”
Keller said that “If you can think of an ecological niche there is probably a beetle there taking advantage of the resources. Believe it or not, there is a beetle that is a parasite and lives in the butt of a beaver. Beetles are truly amazing and although I am partial to the flightless, black tenebrionids, I do collect and appreciate the beauty of all beetles. Okay, maybe I don't collect the beaver butt parasite beetle but wow, who would have thought beetles would be there!”
Keller, who noted that Darwin was an avid beetle collector and enthusiast, acknowledged that she has many "favorite groups of beetles," but "one of my favorites has to be the jewel beetles. Most of them are pests but they are very stunning, hence the name jewel beetle. There are so many different types of beetles that we know of or that have been described but there are still so many that await discovery."
Keller is a researcher, college instructor, mentor, artist, photographer, and author. She recently authored a 35-page children’s book, “The Story of the Dogface Butterfly,” available in the the Bohart Museum gift shop and online at http://www.bohartmuseum.com/the-story-of-the-dogface-butterfly.html
The book, being used in kindergarten through sixth-grade classrooms, and in private and public collections throughout the country, tells the untold story of the California dogface butterfly (Zerene eurydice), and how a classroom successfully mounted a campaign to name it the California state insect. Illustrations by artist Laine Bauer, a UC Davis graduate, and photographs by naturalist Greg Kareofelas, a Bohart Museum volunteer, depict the life cycle of this butterfly and show the host plant, false indigo (Amorpha californica).
Net proceeds from the sale of this book are earmarked for the education, outreach and research programs at the Bohart Museum, located in Room 1124 of the Academic Surge building, Crocker Lane, UC Davis campus.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
The Bohart Museum of Entomology, home of nearly eight million specimens, will “go live” at its first open house of the 2013-14 academic year on Saturday afternoon, Sept. 21.
“Live,” that is, with live insects, such as cabbage white and Gulf Fritillary butterflies, Madagascar hissing cockroaches, walking sticks, a rose-haired tarantula and a “Harry Potter bug,” which is an amblypygid commonly known as a whip spider or tailless whip scorpion.
Another attraction is a jumping spider, which arrived at the insect museum on a rose bouquet, and has become a permanent resident, Heydon said.
The open house, set from 1 to 4 p.m., is free and open to the public. The museum, affiliated with the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, is located in Room 1124 of Academic Surge on Crocker Lane, formerly California Drive. The nearest intersection is LaRue Road.
The gift shop, open year around (products are also sold online), includes two new T-shirts, both the work of designer/Ph.D. student Fran Keller and Davis naturalist/Bohart volunteer Greg Kareofelas. In a touch of humor, the female pondhawk has snatched the Bohart logo and taken a bite.
The second T-shirt depicts the California state insect, the California dogface butterfly. The gift shop also includes other clothing, posters, books, jewelry and insect nets. Purchases and donations support the Bohart education outreach programs. Museum staff educate more than 10,000 students about insects each year thanks to the public generosity.
The Sept. 21 open house is one of eight weekend open houses during the 2013-2014 academic year. Other themes include “Beauty and Beetles,” “Snuggle Bugs” and “Arachnids: Awesome or Awful?”
All will be held from 1 to 4 p.m., with two exceptions. The open house on Saturday, Feb. 8 during UC Davis Biodiversity Day will be from noon to 4 p.m. On the campuswide UC Davis Picnic Day, Saturday, April 12, the hours at the Bohart Museum are from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Bohart’s regular hours are from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday. It is closed to the public on Fridays and on major holidays. Admission is free.
The complete schedule of open houses:
Saturday, Sept. 21
Theme: "Live from the Bohart!"
Hours: 1 to 4 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 23
Theme: "Beauty and Beetles"
Hours: 1 to 4 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 12
Theme: "Snuggle Bugs"
Hours: 1 to 4 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 8
Theme: "Biodiversity Museum Day"
Hours: Noon to 4 p.m.
This event will be held in conjunction with the Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology, Herbarium, Botanical Conservatory, Anthropology Collection and Geology and will take place at each of those locations. (All are free and open to the public.)
Sunday, March 2
Theme: "Garden Heroes!"
Hours: 1 to 4 p.m.
Saturday, April 12:
Theme: “UC Davis Picnic Day: 100 Years”
Hours: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Sunday, May 4
Theme: "Moth-er's Day"
Hours: 1 to 4 p.m.
Saturday, July 26
Theme: "Arachnids: Awesome or Awful?"
Hours: 1 to 4 p.m.
Those who would like to join the Bohart Museum Society, a campus and community support organization dedicated to supporting the mission of the museum, can do so by accessing this page.
“You can help support the museum and its educational programs by becoming a member,” Kimsey said. “The Bohart Museum and the Bohart Museum Society are dedicated to teaching, research and public service. Our current growth is financed by memberships and contributions.” Membership and donations directly support the following programs and activities:
Visiting Scientist Program
Each year, two or three short-term fellowships are awarded to systematists to come and study the museum collections.
High School Student Internships
The Society funds summer internships for high school students to learn about insects, curation, collecting and other aspects of entomology.
Associates Program
This program is designed to give special recognition to society members who donate their time and expertise to improving the museum's collections, or through collecting activities.
Benefits of Membership include a subscription to the Bohart Museum Society quarterly newsletter; invitation to “members only” special events and programs, including the Halloween open house; select member discounts on gift shop merchandise; access to the collections, and free information and identification services from staff; and the use of the museum library of entomological books and periodicals.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
All will be held from 1 to 4 p.m., with two exceptions. The open house on Saturday, Feb. 8 during UC Davis Biodiversity Day will be from noon to 4 p.m. On the campuswide UC Davis Picnic Day, Saturday, April 12, the hours at the Bohart Museum are from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Bohart Museum open houses are free and open to the public. The first is on Saturday, Sept. 21 when the theme is “Live from the Bohart!” It will feature how to rear white cabbage flies and other insects.
The schedule of open houses:
Saturday, Sept. 21
Theme: "Live from the Bohart!"
Hours: 1 to 4 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 23
Theme: "Beauty and Beetles"
Hours: 1 to 4 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 12
Theme: "Snuggle Bugs"
Hours: 1 to 4 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 8
Theme: "Biodiversity Museum Day"
Hours: Noon to 4 p.m.
This event will be held in conjunction with the Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology, Herbarium, Botanical Conservatory, Anthropology Collection and Geology and will take place at each of those locations. (All are free and open to the public.)
Sunday, March 2
Theme: "Garden Heroes!"
Hours: 1 to 4 p.m.
Saturday, April 12:
Theme: “UC Davis Picnic Day: 100 Years”
Hours: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Sunday, May 4
Theme: "Moth-er's Day"
Hours: 1 to 4 p.m.
Saturday, July 26
Theme: "Arachnids: Awesome or Awful?"
Hours: 1 to 4 p.m.
New addition:The December Event
Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013
Hours: Noon to 3 p.m.
The Bohart Museum, directed by Lynn Kimsey, professor of entomology at UC Davis, houses a global collection of nearly eight million insect specimens and is the seventh largest insect collection in North America. It is also the home of the California Insect Survey, a storehouse of the insect biodiversity. Noted entomologist Richard M. Bohart (1913-2007) founded the museum in 1946.
The insect museum includes a gift shop, stocked with T-shirts, posters, insect nets, books, and other items, that also can be purchased online. Another attraction is the live "petting zoo," complete with Madagascar hissing cockroaches and walking sticks. Visitors enjoy holding and photographing them.
The museum’s regular public hours are from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Group tours can be arranged with Tabatha Yang at tabyang@ucdavis.edu or (530) 752-0493. The museum is closed to the public on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and UC Davis holidays.
The Bohart Museum is located near the intersection of La Rue Road and Crocker Lane.
Those who would like to join the Bohart Museum Society, a campus and community support organization dedicated to supporting the mission of the museum, can do so by accessing http://bohart.ucdavis.edu/html/about_society.html.
“You can help support the museum and its educational programs by becoming a member,” Kimsey said. “The Bohart Museum and the Bohart Museum Society are dedicated to teaching, research and public service. Our current growth is financed by memberships and contributions.” Membership and donations directly support the following programs and activities:
Visiting Scientist Program
Each year, two or three short-term fellowships are awarded to systematists to come and study the museum collections.
High School Student Internships
The Society funds summer internships for high school students to learn about insects, curation, collecting and other aspects of entomology.
Associates Program
This program is designed to give special recognition to society members who donate their time and expertise to improving the museum's collections, or through collecting activities.
Benefits of Membership include a subscription to the Bohart Museum Society quarterly newsletter; invitation to “members only” special events and programs, including the Halloween open house; select member discounts on gift shop merchandise; access to the collections, and free information and identification services from staff; and the use of the museum library of entomological books and periodicals.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Sixteen teenagers, all of junior high school age, spent the week of June 17 through 21 absorbing all things science at UC Davis. Ranging in age from 12 through 14, they came from the greater Sacramento area and as far away as Arizona in a camp organized and directed by Tabatha Yang, outreach and education coordinator at the Bohart Museum of Entomology and the Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology.
“It was a great group of kids and we did a lot of cool stuff,” Yang said. They prepared museum specimens; spent the night at the Sagehen Field Station, operated by UC Berkeley; and toured the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility at UC Davis and the adjacent Häagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven, a half-acre bee friendly garden.
Laidlaw staff research associate Billy Synk opened the hives and let each person handle a drone, a male bee. They also sampled honey.
Graduate and undergraduate students assist with the annual BioBoot Camp, now in its third year. They conduct many of the sessions, sharing their experiences and knowledge.
“Due to popular demand, this year we added a high school camp,” Yang said. The high school activities included birding; identifying insects and plants; conducting a butterfly survey at Putah Creek; and touring the Botanical Conservatory.
Excerpts from two of the essays:
A 14-year-old boy: “I've wanted to be an entomologist and herpetologist since I was five. I like to find and collect insects, reptiles, and amphibians. Since I plan on getting my degree from UC Davis, I think this would be a fun and interesting way to learn about the entomology program.”
A 13-year-old girl, a returnee: “By far this is the best camp I've attended. I felt like I belonged there, with all the other kids that like science and animals. This camp gave me a chance to totally be myself! I could be as involved with science and nature related stuff without worrying someone would bother me about it being weird. It was such a relief! I can't wait till camp starts again... BioBoot Camp is the best.”
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
The Bohart Museum of Entomology’s open house, set from 1 to 4 p.m., Sunday, June 9, will inform visitors how to find insects via an inside/outside activity that is free and open to the public.
The event will take place in Room 1124 of the Academic Surge building and at the side of the building, located on Crocker Lane, UC Davis campus. This is the last of the open houses for the 2012-13 academic year.
Visitors can try their hand at catching insects with nets and with pan traps. A pan trap is a colored pan filed with water, to which a drop of dish liquid soap is added to break the surface tension and trap the insects.
Another highlight will be how to rear cabbage white butterflies. Many classroom teachers try to rear monarch butterflies, which are more abundant on the East Coast, as is its host plant, milkweed.
To protect the monarchs, scientists are recommending that cabbage whites be used instead. “They are more abundant, easily obtained and easy to rear,” said Tabatha Yang, the Bohart’s education and outreach coordinator. Teachers can easily demonstrate the life cycle of an insect with the cabbage white, she added. Also, summer is a good time for family project investigations. They can witness the transformation of an egg to a caterpillar to a chrysalis to an adult.
Cabbage whites deposit their eggs singly on a variety of plants, including cabbage, broccoli, kale, cauliflower and mustards.
Free pamphlets will be given to visitors, Yang said.
The Bohart Museum, directed by Lynn Kimsey, professor of entomology at UC Davis, houses a global collection of nearly eight million insect specimens and is the seventh largest insect collection in North America. It is also the home of the California Insect Survey, a storehouse of the insect biodiversity. Noted entomologist Richard M. Bohart (1913-2007) founded the museum in 1946.
Visitors can also hold such live specimens as Madagascar hissing cockroaches and walking sticks. The gift shop includes t-shirts, jewelry, insect nets, posters and books, including the newly published children’s book, “The Story of the Dogface Butterfly,” written by UC Davis doctoral candidate Fran Keller and illustrated (watercolor and ink) by Laine Bauer, a 2012 graduate of UC Davis. The 35-page book, geared toward kindergarteners through sixth graders, also includes photos by naturalist Greg Kareofelas of Davis, a volunteer at the Bohart.
The book tells the untold story of the California dogface butterfly (Zerene eurydice), Keller said. Bauer’s illustrations depict the life cycle of this butterfly and the children who helped designate it as the California state insect.
The net proceeds from the sale of this book go directly to the education, outreach and research programs of the Bohart Museum. The book can also be ordered online.
Bohart officials schedule weekend open houses throughout the academic year so that families and others who cannot attend on the weekdays can do so on the weekends. The Bohart’s regular hours are from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday. The insect museum is closed to the public on Fridays and on major holidays. Admission is free.
For further information, contact Yang at tabyang@ucdavis.edu or (530) 752-0493.