Bug Squad

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.

A monarch butterfly nectars on a Mexican sunflower (Tithonia rotundifola) in a Vacaville pollinator garden on Sept. 3, 2023. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

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Monarchs on the Move

September 14, 2023

For the past 13 days, monarchs have fluttered in and out of our Vacaville garden, nectaring on the Tithonia and zinnia. They are a beautiful sight.

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Aedes aegypti, the yellow fever mosquito. (Photo courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

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Household Vampires Want Your Blood

September 13, 2023

What do you think of when someone mentions "household vampires?" Fleas? Ticks? Bed bugs? Mosquitoes? Yes! The Bohart Museum of Entomology will host an open house, themed "Household Vampires," from 1 to 4 p.m., Saturday, Sept.

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A painted lady, Vanessa cardui, touches down next to a male monarch, Danaus plexippus, on a pink zinnia in a Vacaville pollinator garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

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Oops! Wrong Species, Wrong Gender

September 12, 2023

So here's this male monarch nectaring on a pink zinnia in a Vacaville pollinator garden. The nectar is rich and he is as hungry as a migrant butterfly seeking flight fuel for the long journey ahead.

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A newly eclosed male monarch spreads its wings. In the back is a female. Both eclosed on Sept. 5 in a Vacaville pollinator garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

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WSU-Tagged Monarchs May Be Heading Your Way

September 11, 2023

Seen any tagged monarchs lately? If you live in California, tagged monarchs from the migratory research project of entomologist David James of Washington State University may be heading your way. One tagged monarch, a male, fluttered into our Vacaville pollinator garden on Sept. 5, 2016.

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The legendary Robbin Thorp in front of an almond tree on Bee Biology Road, UC Davis campus. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

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The Legendary Robbin Thorp: A Tribute Well Deserved

September 8, 2023

When UC Davis distinguished professor Walter Leal created a video tribute honoring the UC Davis faculty who recently transitioned to emeriti, he singled out one very special emeriti as an example of tremendous community, academic and scientific engagement: Robbin Thorp (1933-2019), distinguished eme...

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