Bug Squad

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The Bug Squad blog, by Kathy Keatley Garvey of the University of California, Davis, is a daily (Monday-Friday) blog launched Aug. 6, 2008. It is about the wonderful world of insects and the entomologists who study them. Blog posts are archived at https://my.ucanr.edu/blogs/bugsquad/index.cfm. The story behind "The Sting" is here: https://my.ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=7735.

Heads of Rhadinoscelidia malaysiae species. "One of the most unusual things about these wasps is the weird head deformities," says Lynn Kimsey. "I’ve never seen it in any other wasps or bees that I’ve studied."

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Hmm, What's That Critter with the Long, Skinny Necks and Legs?

March 8, 2018

They have weird, long, skinny hinged necks, long skinny legs, and the wing bases are covered by a structure that looks like a large hub cap.

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A pollen-covered honey bee forages on a Gallardia. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

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UC Davis Arboretum Plant Sale on March 10; Why Not Think Gaillardia?

March 7, 2018

If you've been thinking about blanketing your garden with blanketflower (Gaillardia), you're in luck. The UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden is hosting a spring plant sale from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

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Female sweat bees, Halictus ligatus, on goldenrod at the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

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Unforeseen Trophic Interactions in Ag Systems: What-Eats-What in the Food Chain

March 6, 2018

Trophic interactions--or what-eats-what in the food chain or food web of a given ecosystem--will come to life Wednesday, March 7 when associate professor of entomology/Extension specialist John Tooker of Pennsylvania State University discusses "Unforeseen Trophic Interactions in Agricultural and Nat...

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"Honey bees are superb beekeepers; they know what they're doing," keynote speaker Tom Seeley tells the fourth annual UC Davis Bee Symposium. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

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Tom Seeley: 'Bees Are Superb Beekeepers'

March 5, 2018

"Honey bees are superb beekeepers; they know what they're doing." So said bee scientist and author Tom Seeley of Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., when he keynoted the fourth annual UC Davis Bee Symposium, held March 3 in the UC Davis Conference Center.

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Can you see an ant and a spider in this photo of an almond tree? It's a winter ant, Prenolepis imparis and a jumping spider, Salticidae. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

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And Along Came a Spider

March 2, 2018

If you've been checking out the honey bees foraging on the almonds lately--in between the rains--you might see other critters as well. Like a winter ant. Or a jumping spider. This winter ant, Prenolepis imparis (as identified by ant specialist Brendon Boudinot, a Ph.D.

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