Bug Squad

Good news: The first day of spring. Bad news: The future of the Eastern, migratory population of the monarch butterflies. Research published today in Scientific Reports indicates there's a "quasi-extinction risk" for the Eastern, migratory population of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus).

What's the most dangerous animal on the planet? No, not rhinos, cape buffaloes, hippos, lions, elephants, crocodiles or sharks. It's an insect, the blood-sucking mosquito. Mosquitoes that transmit malaria, including Anopheles gambiae, kill more than people than any other animal on the planet.

Bees buzzed at Cal Ag Day. So did the people.

You won't want to miss what's happening on the UC Davis campus on Saturday, May 7. It's the second annual UC Davis Bee Symposium: Keeping Bees Healthy.

They fondly call her "The Wasp Woman" in reference to her specialty. She is a recognized expert on aculeate wasps and works with some of the most difficult groups, including tiphiids and chrysidids.