Bug Squad

Bumble bee on bull thistle at Bodega Bay
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Potato capsid, Closterotomus norvegicus, feeding on a chrysanthemum blossom. It also feeds on nettle, clover and cannabis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
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Fancy Meeting You Here, Mr. Potato Capsid

July 5th, 2024
One potato, two potato, three potato, four... You never know what will pop up in a pollinator garden. Meet Mr. Potato Capsid, Closterotomus norvegicus, often found on nettle, potato, clover and cannabis.
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It's early morning, and a soldier beetle stirs in a Vacaville garden. A beneficial insect, it eats aphids and other soft-bodied insects. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
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Why Soldier Beetles Deserve the Aphid Belt

July 4th, 2024
It's the Fourth of July and what better time to post images of the aptly name "soldier beetles" than today. These insects (family Cantharidae) resemble the uniforms of the British soldiers of the American Revolution, which is apparently how their name originated.
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A cabbage white butterfly nectaring on lavender in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
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Cinderella and the White Cabbage Butterfly

July 2nd, 2024
If Cinderella were a butterfly, she'd probably be a white cabbage butterfly, Pieris rapae. The butterfly--in its larval stage it's a pest of cucurbits--is stunning as an adult. Just think of a flowing white gown, exquisite pirouettes, and a flutter like no other.
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