Bug Squad

When beekepers from all over the Western states converge on the Western Apicultural Society (WAS) meeting in Hawaii next week, they won't be there to bask in the sun.

Often you'll hear kindergarten students asking one another: "What's your favorite color?" Beekeepers do that, too--in a joking sort of way.

Jumpin' Jehosaphat! Those jumping spiders can jump--several lengths of their body, in fact. There seem to be more spiders in our yard this summer than usual--crab spiders, black widows, web weavers and jumping spiders. Well, that makes sense--we have more bees.

One left hungry. One didn't. We watched a leafcutter bee (genus Megachile) foraging on a gold coin flower (Asteriscus maritimus 'Gold Coin') yesterday when suddenly danger lurked. A jumping spider peered over the petals, its legs (aka "claws") extended in anticipation, the mark of a good hunter.

It's showtime! The Gulf Fritillary butterfly is one of the showiest butterflies in California, says butterfly guru Art Shapiro, professor of evolution and ecology at UC Davis. Indeed it is. The bright orange-red butterfly with a wingspan that can reach four inches visited our back yard yesterday.