Bug Squad

Bumble bee on bull thistle at Bodega Bay
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What This Katydid Did...

November 28th, 2017
It's not a question of whether katydid did or didn't. She did. In answer to what-are-we-going-to-see-next-in-insect-sightings-today-in-our-weird-climate-changing patterns, a katydid appeared on our yellow rose bush on Nov. 21 in Vacaville, Calif. And stayed for several days.
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Once Upon a Monarch...

November 27th, 2017
We first saw her at 10 a.m. on Oct. 27, 2017. She was eating. That's what monarch caterpillars do best. They eat. A lot. "Where have you been?" I asked. "Where have you been hiding? Your siblings have long gone.
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Guess How Many Are Coming to Dinner?

November 24th, 2017
Set a plate for one and you might get three more diners. Such was the case recently in a Sonoma garden when a patch Iceland poppy (Papaver nudicaule) drew a posse of hungry honey bees, all elbowing up to the plate. Iceland poppy is irresistible. Ironically, you won't find Iceland poppy in Iceland.
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A Royal Moment with a Queen Bumble Bee

November 23rd, 2017
It's Thanksgiving Day and time to give thanks for NOT what we WANT, but what we HAVE. And, not for what we OWN, but what we CANNOT. That includes the yellow-faced bumble bee, Bombus vosnesenskii. On the morning of Nov.
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Special Day for the Parasitoids and Walking Sticks

November 22nd, 2017
American biologist, researcher, theorist, naturalist and author E.O. Wilson once said: "(We have) reason to cherish each species in turn as a world unto itself, worthy of lifetimes of study." That includes parasitoids. "Parasitoid Palooza!" That was the theme of the open house hosted Saturday, Nov.
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