Bug Squad

A daily (M-F) blog launched Aug. 6, 2008 and about the wonderful world of insects and those who study them. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
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Argentine ant crawling on honey-coated spoon. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

What He Discovered After Large-Scale Argentine Ant Removals

May 21, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 The invasive Argentine ant (Linepithema humile), a significant pest in both agricultural and urban settings, is known for its supercolonies that render substantial harm to flora and fauna, including native arthropods, vertebrates and plants.Enter Professor David Holway of the UC San Diego Department of…
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Western bumble bee, Bombus occidentalis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Celebrating World Bee Day!

May 20, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 Today, May 20, is World Bee Day, and time to "raise awareness on the essential role bees and other pollinators play in keeping people and the planet healthy, and on the many challenges they face today," according to the World Bee Day organizers. "We have been celebrating this day since 2018, thanks to…
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Queen bee in a hive

So Many Queens at the California Honey Festival

May 19, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 So many queens at the California Honey Festival, which ended its two-day run on Sunday, May 17.The event, held in Woodland on the Yolo County Fairgrounds, wouldn't be a festival without our participating UC Davis scientists and educators. Amina Harris, retired director of the UC Davis Honey and…
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Mourning cloak butterfly on Echium (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Good Morning, Mourning Cloak

May 18, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 "Good morning, mourning cloak! Fancy meeting you here."The mourning cloak indeed chose a fancy meeting place. It touched down on our Tower of Jewels (Echium wildpretti) and began to nectar."I'm trying to get an image of you," I whispered. "Open your wings." And magically, or sort of magically, it did…
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Flame skimmer dragonfly, Libellula saturata, perched on a stick in a meadow. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Rhyming Prose: The Hunting Behavior of Dragonflies...

May 15, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 You've seen dragonflies perched in meadows  but have you ever witnessed their hunting behavior?You won't want to miss the Bohart Museum of Entomology open house on Saturday, May 16 when UC Davis doctoral candidate and dragonfly expert Christofer Brothers shares his rhyming prose on dragonflies.He…
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