Bug Squad

Bumble bee on bull thistle at Bodega Bay
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A Western tiger swallowtail, missing part of its tails, nectars March 30 on a lilac bush at a Vacaville park. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
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Hello, Spring! Welcome, Western Tiger Swallowtail!

April 2nd, 2021
Hello, spring! It's not "officially" spring until we see--and photograph--the spectacular Western tiger swallowtail, Papilio rutulus. One landed March 30 on an aromatic white lilac bush in Alamo Creek Park, Vacaville. It lingered long enough for a few photos and then fluttered away.
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Bob Peterson: 'That's Not Normal for Any Insect'

April 1st, 2021
If you missed entomologist Robert Peterson's outstanding virtual seminar on "Tigers in Yellowstone National Park: Adaptations of Insects to Extreme Environments," presented March 31 to the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, not to worry. It's on YouTube at https://youtu.
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The honey bees swarmed last week to the entrance to the Epiphany Episcopal Church, Vacaville. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
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Blessed Are the Bees

March 29th, 2021
Blessed are the bees. When honey bees swarmed last week at the entrance to the Epiphany Episcopal Church in Vacaville, the site seemed quite fitting. Biblical references to bees and honey, such as "the land of milk and honey," abound. Blessed are the bees.
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