- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
That's how colleagues and students describe the life and legacy of Professor Emerita Sharon Lawler, an aquatic entomologist who retired in January 2023 after a 28-year career with the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology.
If you attended the annual UC Davis Picnic Day celebrations, you knew her as “the aquatic insect expert.” In her “Little Swimmers” display, she showcased aquatic biodiversity and encouraged questions on everything from tadpoles to giant water bugs mosquito larvae.
Now in her new role as professor emerita, Lawler continues to focus on preserving aquatic biodiversity. "I'm mentoring and doing research," she says.
“Sharon always put the needs of students first,” said longtime colleague, UC Distinguished Professor Richard “Rick” Karban, a community ecologist in the Department of Entomology and Nematology. “She was focused on what they needed from her rather than the other way around. In the department, she did more than her fair share of student-centric tasks. She was committed to accommodating and including the diverse circumstances of students before that was on many people's radars. Co-teaching community ecology with Sharon for 28 years, I learned a lot about science and even more about how to treat other people with compassion.”
Richard Kim, a doctoral candidate whom she co-advises (with Professor Marissa Baskett, Department of Environmental Science and Policy), describes Lawler as “an amazing researcher and an outstanding role-model as a supervisor; joining her lab was one of the best decisions I've made in life.”
Kim, who holds a bachelor's degree in ecology and evolution from UC Santa Barbara (2010) and a master's degree in biology from San Francisco State University (2017), commented: “Sharon has been advising my projects related to predator-prey relationships between the imperiled giant garter snakes and non-native bullfrogs: (1) experimental feeding trials and (2) mark-recapture surveying in the field. We are currently working to prepare manuscripts that will inform conservation strategies for the snakes by alternative controlling strategies for bullfrogs. Throughout my graduate school experience, Sharon provided not only academic guidance but also sincere advice and support during my personal and health difficulties. She truly is one of the role models I have in life, as a scientist and as a P.I. (principal investigator).
Sharon Lawler grew up in Maplewood, N.J., “where Ultimate Frisbee was invented. “For other Maplewood trivia,” she offered, “see https://sueadler.com/ten-amazing-facts-about-maplewood-new-jersey/.”
And yes, she played Frisbee.
After graduating in 1982 from Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Penn., with a bachelor's degree in biology, Sharon headed to Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J., for her master of science degree in ecology (1988) and her doctorate in ecology and evolution (1992).
She completed a two-year term as a postdoctoral researcher at the Imperial College, Silwood Park, Ascot, UK, and a year as a postdoc researcher in biological sciences at the University of Kentucky, Lexington, before joining the UC Davis Department of Entomology in 1995.
Her first UC Davis publication, co-authored with colleagues, dealt with tree frogs: “Thermal Physiology, Phenology, and Distribution of Tree Frogs," published in The American Naturalist in 1988. Her first publication as lead author: “Behavioural Responses to Predators and Predation Risk in Four Species of Larval Anurans." (1989, Animal Behaviour)
An avid researcher, Lawler is the co-principal investigator (with John Eadie and Daniel Karp of Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology) of a substantial grant, the Integrated Wetland Management Project, to develop reduced-pesticide mosquito control via beneficial predators. The grant, awarded in 2022, has no expiration date.
Over the last five years, her other grants, ranging from $88,000 to $659,000, dealt with
- “Impacts of Storm-Driven Contaminants on Larval Delta Smelt and the Community Scale Adaptive Capacity of Prey Items to Handle Those Stressors.” (Richard Connon, principal investigator)
- “Post Fire Ecology and Habitat Suitability Evaluation for the Proposed Federally Listed Sierra Nevada Yellow-Legged Frog on the Lassen and Plumas National Forests.” USDA: Forest Service (with Sarah Yarnell and Cathy Brown)
- “High-Throughput Biomonitoring of Aquatic Invertebrates.” (Richard Connon, co-principal investigator), California Department of Pesticide Regulation
- “Area-wide Management of Aquatic Weeds in the Sacramento/ San Joaquin River Delta for Sustainable Control in Farming Areas, Critical Wildlife Habitats, Recreational Zones and Water Conveyance Systems Important for California Agriculture and Human Health.” (Patrick Moran, principal investigator)
Lawler's academic activities included chairing the Entomology and Nematology Curriculum Committee from 2017 to 2022; serving as the lead faculty advisor for the department from 2003 to 2022; and chairing a number of academic search committees. She served on the editorial board for the international peer-reviewed Journal of Ecology and Journal of
Ecological Monographs from 2002-2021 and held membership in the Faculty of 1000, Freshwater and Marine Ecology, from 2008 to 2021. Lawler also completed two terms as chair of the Graduate Group in Ecology, and as chair of the Designated Emphasis in the Biology of Vector-Borne Diseases.
Trivia: Sharon Lawler won the "Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Contest" at the department's 2019 winter holiday party with her recipe, "Dirty Drunk Snowball," which included only three ingredients: 1 box Trader Joe's Mini Dark Chocolate Mint Stars, 1/4 cup dark rum, and 1/4 confectioner's sugar. (See Bug Squad blog)
What are your plans for retirement after 28 years at UC Davis? Travel plans? Research? Teaching? Public service?
“I'm not off the hook for UC Davis yet! I have a couple of great, co-advised graduate students who are completing their dissertations (Rich Kim and Kyle Phillips). I'm also on a research project aimed at improving wetland management to restrict mosquito production and enhance wildlife resources. I'm fortunate to collaborate on this with Professors John Eadie and Danny Karp of the Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology; graduate student John Veon leads our field research. The project is supported by long-time UC Davis supporters Paul and Sandi Bonderson of the lovely Bird Haven Ranch, where the research takes place."
"However, I'm enjoying a lighter schedule that includes morning walks and gardening. I plan to visit with my family more often. I'll also spend more time nagging my representatives and other voters to stay woke. It's better than sleepwalking while The Man stacks the deck against We The People.”
“I have always enjoyed observing insects, but I was a late-comer to formal entomology. My degrees are in biology (B.A.) and ecology and evolution (Ph.D). My Ph.D. advisor, Peter Morin, emphasized learning about aquatic insects as an important part of aquatic food webs. We did a project on how aquatic insects affect amphibian larvae. My familiarity with aquatic insects came in very handy when I was hired as a mosquito biologist at UC Davis, but there was still a steep learning curve. Bob Washino (now professor emeritus and former department chair) and Debbie Dritz (now a vector ecologist with the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control) were very helpful in advising me about California's mosquito research issues, and Al Grigarick (now professor emeritus) gave me some excellent resources for teaching aquatic entomology. Thanks to them, and to a lot of late nights, I was doing mosquito research and teaching an entomology class within a few months of arriving at Davis. My fascination with insects has increased through time, thanks to our seminar series and the amazing research performed by our students and faculty.”
What will you miss the most?
“I'll miss the great people of our Department and the Phoenix Cluster the most. I felt very lucky to be among so many pleasant, professional, and fun folks. I will also miss daily interactions with students and colleagues in a variety of graduate groups and departments. UC Davis is full of kind, intelligent do-gooders in all sorts of jobs!”
What will you miss the least?
“I won't miss evaluating students, peers, and manuscripts. I prefer to judge silently--or sometimes confidentially, with friends over a beer. I still review the occasional manuscript because I am still publishing, but I'm more selective now.”
What do you consider your greatest accomplishments in the field of entomology? In teaching? Research? Public service?
“Oh, dear, this question is like a 'merit review'... one of the things I surely won't miss!
"In general, my research has been aimed at preserving aquatic biodiversity. In entomology, my lab's research has helped Mosquito and Vector Abatement Districts choose control methods that protect public health in ecologically sound ways. I also collaborated with the Larry Godfrey and Richard Connon labs on projects that revealed non-target effects of various agricultural chemicals on aquatic insects and other taxa." (Note: The late Larry Godfrey, 1956-2017 was a UC Cooperative Extension entomology specialist and Richard Connon, recently retired, served on the School of Veterinary Medicine faculty and is with the UC Davis Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute.)
"Not all of my projects were in entomology. In other work we evaluated whether various invasive species harm native frogs or snakes; invasives included a fungus, bullfrogs, and various fishes. These projects have helped wildlife managers conserve native species. I've also done research on how food web structure affects population dynamics, using protists as a model system.”
Any other comments?
“As an instructor, I enjoyed teaching aquatic entomology all 28 years, especially getting students out to our Natural Reserves to see insects in their habitats. I also loved teaching Community Ecology to graduate students from several graduate groups; we have top-notch students and discussion sessions were rewarding.”
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Bob stole the show.
Picture this: UC Davis forensic entomologist Robert “Bob” Kimsey is portraying “Dr. Death” inside Briggs Hall during the 109th annual UC Davis Picnic Day, but just outside the building, another Bob is grabbing the spotlight.
That would be Bob, a two-inch long American cockroach, Periplaneta americana, competing in the Roach Races.
"Roach Bob" is part of the colony that "Dr. Bob" inherited from the late entomology emeritus professor Charles Judson (1926-2015).
Every year someone names a roach “Bob” to honor the colony keeper.
The reddish-brown roaches race inside a tubelike track. An air pump, emitting "a gentle breeze," encourages them to leave the starting gate and head for the finish line--all six legs flying.
This year Bob, Speedster and Charlie proved to be crowd favorites.
“We rotate the roaches so they don't get too stressed from the heat, but Speedster definitely lived up to its name,” said Roach Race coordinator Taylor Kelly, a doctoral candidate in the lab of medical entomologist/geneticist Geoffrey Attardo, associate professor, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology.
“Bob was a definite winner,” said race announcer-roach handler Iris Quayle, a first-year doctoral student in the lab of Jason Bond, the Evert and Marion Schlinger Endowed Chair in the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology and associate dean, UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. “I don't think the crowd knew they were naming a cockroach after Bob Kimsey but it worked out well. And the aptly named Speedster gave everyone a run for their money!”
Kimsey's wife, Lynn Kimsey, a UC Davis distinguished professor and director of the Bohart Museum of Entomology, also is honored annually with a roach named “Lynn.” Last year her namesake won a few races; this year, no.
“We had audience members be our Roach Coaches--they encouraged the roaches to run with a gentle breeze of air,” Taylor said. “Later on in the day, we had a very speedy roach named Charlie that clinched 4 rounds back-to-back. Charlie was named by a youngster participating as his Roach Coach. He named the cockroach after his little brother.”
“At the beginning of the day we had some near-escapees and definitely elicited some screams from the crowd when one managed to get free,” Iris said, “but Taylor and I were too fast and were able to get them all back into the colony in the end. We also had some stubborn racers who didn't want to leave their racing tube after the competition.”
Some spectators asked Iris what the experience was like. “I did get a few questions about if I was okay holding them, and if I was scared I would get sick, but once I explained that this was a maintained colony by the college and that cockroaches are only as dirty as their environment, people came around and were even willing to give the racers a little head pat for good luck.”
In between races, the announcers asked if anyone wanted to pet a cockroach. They did, and took cell phone images and videos, too. “It was fun to let folks give the roaches a little head pat, a lot of folks said they seemed more cute after getting up close and personal,” Kelly said. “I hope folks loved roaches a little more after the races!”
Did anyone ask to take one home? “No, but we had many people complain that they already had too many lurking at home,” Taylor quipped.
Taylor was a member of the 2022 UC Davis Entomology Games team that won the national championship at the Entomological Society of America meeting. She also won the 2022 Student Leadership Award from the Pacific Branch, Entomological Society of America (PBESA) for her leadership in STEM and entomological activities.
Iris recently won first place in the doctoral student research competition at the 2023 PBESA meeting, held in Seattle. Her presentation, “Colorless but Never Dull: Unraveling Population Genetics and Color Evolution in ‘White' Darkling Beetles (Onymacris),” was her first-ever scientific presentation. Iris served a year as a National Science Foundation Research Experience for Post-Baccalaureate Students (NSF-REPS) in the Bond lab before being accepted into the doctoral program in 2022.
Kimsey, an associate adjunct professor and lecturer since 1990, has served as the master advisor for the animal biology (ABI) major since 2010 and an ABI lecturer since 2001. He also serves as the UC Davis Entomology Club advisor. He annually co-chairs the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology's Picnic Day activities with a member of the Entomology Graduate Student Association (EGSA). This year he co-chaired the event with doctoral student Grace Horne of the lab of urban landscape entomologist Emily Meineke.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Forensic entomologist Robert "Bob" Kimsey and doctoral student Grace Horne of the lab of urban landscape entomologist Emily Meineke are busily coordinating the Department of Entomology and Nematology's activities and displays for the 109th annual UC Davis Picnic Day, set Saturday, April 15.
The "bug" exhibits will be at two sites:
- Briggs Hall, home of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, Kleiber Hall Drive, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and
- Bohart Museum of Entomology, located in Room 1124 of the Academic Surge Building, 455 Crocker Lane, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Theme of the Bohart Museum will be "Bugs, Boom, Bang!" The insect museum, directed by UC Davis distinguished professor Lynn Kimsey, houses a global collection of eight million insect specimens, a live "petting zoo" (including Madagascar hissing cockroaches, stick insects and tarantulas).
Cockroach races are among the popular activities at Briggs Hall. The roaches will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on a specially made race track in front of the building. These are American cockroaches, Periplaneta americana, from a colony kept by the late UC Davis entomology emeritus professor, Charles Judson (1926-2015). Bob Kimsey, who doubles as the advisor of the UC Davis Entomology Club, maintains the roach colony. The athletes, he said, "are ready to race."
The roach races involve a roach track, an air pump (to get the roaches moving), volunteers, and spectators. Sometimes a roach jumps from the track and lands on scurrying feet.
The line-up of entomological events at Briggs Hall also includes:
Bug Doctor
Briggs Hall Entryway
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Meet an entomologist and talk about insects! Bring an insect from your garden to identify.
Maggot Art
Briggs Hall Courtyard
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Create maggot art by dipping a live maggot into water-based, non-toxic paint. Voila! Art suitable or framing (or at least a spot on the refrigerator door
Dr. Death
Room 122 of Briggs Hall
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Forensic entomologist Robert Kimsey will display and discuss his work.
Entomology at UC Davis
Room 122 of Briggs Hall
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Displays of insects, including bees, ants and more
Graduate students, faculty and emeriti will staff the tables
Scavenger Hunt
Room 122 of Briggs Hall
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
There will be several drawers of insects that people can look through to see if they can spot the insects on the check list
Fly-Tying
Briggs Hall courtyard
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Fly Fishers of Davis will show you how to tie a fly.
Insect-Themed T-shirt Sales
Briggs Hall entryway
9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Members of the Entomology Graduate Student Association (EGSA) will be selling popular insect-themed t-shirts, including "The Beetles"
Mosquito Control
Briggs Hall entrance
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District will be providing information on mosquitoes and how to protect yourself
Other Creepy Crawlies
122 Briggs Hall
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
UC Davis doctoral candidate Emma Jochim of the Jason Bond lab and others will display live arachnids, myriapods, tarantulas, scorpions, millipedes and more
UC Statewide Integrated Pest Management (UC IPM)
Briggs Hall Courtyard
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Learn about pests and how to control them from UC IPM scientists. The staff will be giving away lady beetles, aka ladybugs.
The UC Davis Honey and Pollination Center, headed by director Amina Harris and affiliated with the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, will host a honey tasting from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the courtyard of Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science, 392 Old Davis Road. "Come taste and learn about UC Davis honey and honey varietals from North America," she said. "Honey available for purchase."
The UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology is chaired by nematologist and professor Steve Nadler. Molecular geneticist-physiologist and professor Joanna Chiu serves as the vice chair.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Squirm, maggots, squirm!
If you look behind the scenes of the entomological activities at the 108th annual UC Davis Picnic Day on Saturday, April 23 at Briggs Hall, you'll see a Department of Entomology and Nematology doctoral candidate coordinating everything from Roach Races to Maggot Art.
“I'm really excited to get our events up and running again after two years," said Danielle Rutkowski, the UC Davis Graduate Student Association (EGSA) coordinator of the department's Picnic Day activities at Briggs Hall (with forensic entomologist and faculty member Robert Kimsey).
COVID-19 pandemic cancelled the in-person UC Davis Picnic Day in both 2020 and 2021, but not 2022, nor the renewed enthusiasm.
“Coordinating events has been challenging, mostly because I've only been to one in-person Picnic Day myself!" said Rutkowski, who enrolled in the doctoral program in 2018, and is advised by associate professor Rachel Vannette and UC Davis distinguished professor Richard Karban.
"But it's been fun to work with other graduate students and the entomology club to get our exhibits from previous years back together. This is the first Picnic Day for many students in the department, so I want to make sure it's a fun experience for volunteers as well as visitors.”
Entomological activities at Briggs Hall will include Bug Doctor and Doctor Death booths; displays featuring honey bees, ants, mosquitoes, integrated pest management, forest entomology, medical entomology and agricultural entomology; and EGSA's insect-themed t-shirt sales, as well as the crowd-pleasing Roach Races and Maggot Art. And more. (See schedule at Briggs and Bohart Museum of Entomology.)
“The Roach Races are a definite favorite of the public; they're really high energy and a lot of fun," Rutkowski said. "And the (American) roaches are from a colony that the entomology club cares for, so they can return home after a hard day of racing. Maggot Art is another popular event among visitors, and we order the maggots from a bait supplier.”
Rutkowski says there are plenty of events “that I haven't seen before, and I'm looking forward to being a part of them this year. We'll have a lot of displays set up in Briggs 122, which I'm excited to see. We'll be bringing back some previous displays on forest entomology and medical entomology, as well as some new displays on agricultural entomology and caterpillar biology.”
Her research is funded by a three-year USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) pre-doctoral fellowship of $180,000; it provides tuition stipends and research funding to study the impacts and mechanisms of fungicide and bee-associated fungi on bumble bee health. Her other grants or scholarships include a 2020 Academic Senate grant of $25,000 to research the effects of fungicide on the health and microbiome composition of bumble bees; three George H. Vansell Scholarships (2019, 2020 and 2021 totaling $8950) to study the effects of fungicide on the health and microbiome composition of bumble bees; and a 2018-2020 UC Davis Eugene Cota-Robles Fellowship of $95,200.
Danielle holds a bachelor of science degree from Cornell University in entomology and biological sciences, with a concentration in ecology and evolutionary biology. She graduated in May 2018 summa cum laude with distinction in research.
At Cornell, Rutkowski did independent research with Professor Jennifer Thaler, carrying out an independent honor's thesis research project on ecological interactions between insect herbivores, plants, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Rutkowski also worked with Thaler on numerous other projects, studying interactions between potato plants, Colorado potato beetles, and their predators, as well as projects studying the interactions between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, tomato plants, and insect herbivores. She also worked with Professor Richard Lindroth at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, investigating how genotype and environmental conditions interact to affect the growth, defense and insect community of aspen trees.
Active in the Entomological Society of America (ESA), Rutkowski presented her research at the annual meetings in 2017, 2018 and 2021, and received the President's Prize (first place) in both 2017 and 2021. Rutkowski has also served as a member of the UC Davis graduate student group, Equity in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, and Entrepreneurship (ESTEME), planning activities and lessons for middle school students in the Davis area.
But for now, Danielle Rutkowski is juggling (1) her research on bumble bees (2) her dedication to her academic studies and (3) her mentoring and student teaching with (4) her commitment to public service: coordinating the highly popular Roach Races, Maggot Art and other entomological activities at the UC Davis Picnic Day's campuswide open house.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
The 108th annual UC Davis Picnic Day will include scores of insect-related displays and activities sponsored by the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology. Entomological events will take place at Briggs Hall; the Bohart Museum of Entomology (Academic Surge Building on Crocker Lane); and in the courtyard of Green Hall (formerly Life Sciences).
Free and open to the public (as is parking), it will be the first in-person Picnic Day in nearly three years. The theme is "Rediscovering Tomorrow."
Danielle Rutkowski, doctoral candidate in the lab of associate professor Rachel Vannette, is planning and coordinating the UC Davis Graduate Student Association (EGSA) events.
"We're all so excited that it's in-person again," said Jill Oberski, EGSA president. "Grad students usually run most of the entomology exhibits, but most of the younger graduate students have never been to a 'real' Picnic Day—so we finally have the chance to pass the experience on to them. It's always crazy and exhausting but it's so much fun, and a really great opportunity to engage with the public."
EGSA will be selling a number of t-shirts, both classic attire and new designs. New designs are "UCD Amblypygid," designed by Emma Jochim of the Jason Bond lab (it's EGSA's first arachnid shirt) and the limited-edition 'Mosquito Picnic' for Picnic Day 2022, designed by Oberski. "And we have stickers, masks, and several years' worth of back stock we would love to sell!" Oberski noted, adding that EGSA takes both cash and credit cards. Some of the classic T-shirt designs, such as The Beetles, sell fast. The link to EGSA's online store: https://ucdavisentgrad.
The list of insect-related events includes:
Bug Doctor
In front of Briggs Hall
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Meet an entomologist and talk about insects! Even bring some from your home or garden for identification! The line-up: three doctoral candidates: Xavier Zahnle of the Jason Bond lab, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.; Zachary Griebenow of the Phil Ward lab, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and Jill Oberski of the Phil Ward lab, 3 to 5 p.m.
Doctor Death
Briggs Hall 122
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Meet forensic entomologist Bob Kimsey of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology and learn how how insects are used in forensics! Kimsey is also the faculty chair of the department's Picnic Day.
Honey Bees and Honey
Briggs Hall Courtyard
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Learn about honey bees and the honey production process.
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Briggs Hall Entryway
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Popular insect-themed t-shirts such as ‘The Beetles' are on sale via the Entomology Graduate Student Association.
Lil' Swimmers and Fly-tying
Briggs Hall
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
See live insects from streams and ponds from lab of professor Sharon Lawler, and learn the art of fly-tying for fly fishing from members of the Fly Fishers of Davis.
Maggot Art
Green Hall Courtyard
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Children (and grown-ups) can create art using live maggots dipped in non-toxic, water-based paint. (See news story)
Ants
122 Briggs Hall
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Phil Ward lab will get you interested in ants. They'll have posters and photos (some from noted photographer and UC Davis alumnus Alex Wild, curator of entomology at the University of Texas, Austin). Got a question about ants?
Forest Entomology, Medical Entomology, Agricultural Entomology
122 Briggs Hall
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Learn the roles of insects in forest entomology, medical entomology and agricultural entomology. Check out the displays and talk to the entomologists. Among those participating: Agricultural Extension specialist Ian Grettenberger, assistant professor, and his lab will be there, as will forest entomologist and graduate student Crystal Homicz.
Caterpillar Biology
122 Briggs Hall
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Grace Horne, a graduate student in the laboratory of Emily Meineke, assistant professor of urban landscape entomology. will display hornworm caterpillars and pupae, and she'll discuss butterfly and moth biodiversity and biology, including urban biodiversity and their interactions with their host plants.
Mosquito Control
In front of Briggs Hall
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Learn about how to control mosquitoes and protect yourself. This booth is staffed by the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District.
Briggs Hall Courtyard
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Talk with expert entomologists about safely controlling pest insects.UC IPM will give away lady beetles, aka ladybugs.
Butterflies and Change (Bohart Museum of Entomology)
East Academic Surge Entrance
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
What's happening with California's state insect, the California Dogface Butterfly? And learn about monarch butterflies. Plus, view the Bohart Museum of Entomology's never-before-seen, student-created traveling, display exhibits.
Cockroach Racing
In front of Briggs Hall
11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Entomologists will race cockroaches on tiny tracks to the delight of the crowd. Be there to cheer your favorites.
The 2022 Picnic Day, billed as one of the largest student-run events in the nation, will showcase more than 200 events. Picnic Day chair Amanda Portier and vice chair Jesse Goodman announced that "we strive to bring together people from Davis and beyond to celebrate all that our community has to offer." The schedule includes displays, animal events, performers, and parade floats.
For the complete schedule, access this link. "Please be prepared to show an approved UC Davis Daily Symptom Survey for entrance into some indoor events," the website points out. "For those who are not UC Davis students or employees proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test from the last 72 hours may also be required. Screening is at the discretion of individual exhibits and animal events."