Bug Squad

Bumble bee on bull thistle at Bodega Bay
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Santa Is a Robber Fly

December 18th, 2015
Santa may be a jolly ol' elf who gives away presents, but he is also a robber fly. Take it from UC Davis entomology student Wade Spencer. Spencer decided to create a Bohart Museum of Entomology Christmas card--an insect version--and sure enough, Santa is a robber fly.
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Tiny/Tim Not Long for This World

December 17th, 2015
It was bound to happen. Not all monarch butterflies that you rear will make it. Such was this case this week with when two monarchs eclosed, both crippled and struggling to survive.
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A Force Awakened and to Be Reckoned With

December 16th, 2015
Moviegoers are anxious to see the long-awaited "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," which officially opens Dec. 18. But the Linnaean Games are also a force to be reckoned with-- for those who study insect science or who want to study insect science.
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The Buzz About Honey Bees and Marijuana

December 15th, 2015
Extension apiculturist emeritus Eric Mussen of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, "retired" in June of 2014 after 38 years of service but his phone and keyboard at Briggs Hall gather no dust. The honey bee guru continues to answer a range of questions.
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Status of Overwintering Monarchs in California

December 14th, 2015
Is the overwintering monarch butterfly population along California's coast increasing or decreasing? "So far, far the picture is rather mixed for the number of monarchs in California," according to Matthew Shepherd, communications director for the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.
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