Bug Squad

Bumble bee on bull thistle at Bodega Bay
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And the tour of the California dogface butterfly habitat begins. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
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The Land of Z (Zerene) and The Land of B (Bohart)

July 11th, 2022
Friday, June 10 proved to be a great day in "The Land of Z," and Saturday, July 16 promises to be a great day in the "Land of B." The Land of Z? It's the home or major breeding ground of Zerene eurydice, the California dogface butterfly, the state insect.
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An assassin bug, Zelus renardii,waits to ambush prey on a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
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No 'Assassination' Today!

July 7th, 2022
No assassinations today! But an "assassination attempt." There it was, a leafhopper assassin bug, Zelus renardii, waiting for prey atop a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola in a Vacaville pollinator garden. Yes, it's native to North America.
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A red flameskimmer or firecracker skimmer (Libellula saturata) perches on a tomato stake in a Vacaville pollinator garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
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'My Old Flame' Returns

July 6th, 2022
"My old flame" returned Saturday, July 2. A strong north wind aided him. It wasn't the "old flame" from last year, but a new generation. Still, what a beauty of a dragonfly--a red flameskimmer or firecracker skimmer (Libellula saturata), native to Western North America.
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