Bug Squad

Bumble bee on bull thistle at Bodega Bay
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"Aah, nectar!" A Mexican cactus fly, Copestylum mexicanum, on a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifolia, in Vacaville. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
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Behold: A Mexican Cactus Fly on a Mexican Sunflower

July 29th, 2020
It's not often you see a Mexican cactus fly, Copestylum mexicanum, nectaring on a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifolia. At first glance, you may think the insect is a carpenter bee or bumble bee. Then you see it hovering. Then you see its head. Then you see its stubby antennae.
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Western Tiger Swallowtail, Papilio rutulus, spreads its wings on a butterfly bush, Buddleia davidii. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
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Tracking a Tiger During the COVID-19 Crisis

July 27th, 2020
Have are you faring during the COVID-19 crisis? If you have a pollinator garden--or access to you--and a camera, you can step out of The Great Indoors and enjoy The Great Outdoors. A newly eclosed Western Tiger Swallowtail, Papilio rutulus, however, can take your breath away.
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