Ever been to the Burning Man Festival and checked out the art cars? No, and no. But last Sunday at the Berkeley Marina, we saw an art car that looked as if it could have been at the Burning Man. It was the wheel deal. And a car that an entomologist could love.

View Article

A leaffooted bug on a tomato. This is Leptoglossus phyllopus, as identified by senior museum scientist Steve Heydon of the Bohart Museum of Entomology, UC Davis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Article

Can You See the Leaf?

June 27th, 2014

Once you've seen a leaffooted bug (genus Leptoglossus), you'll never forget it. If you look closely, you'll see a leaflike structure on each hind leg. It's especially noticeable when the bug is on a brightly colored tomato or pomegranate.

View Article

Damselfly on a leaf in the late afternoon. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Article

Like a Needle in a Haystack

June 26th, 2014

Finding a tan-colored damselfly in a patch of fading English lavender is like finding a needle in the proverbial haystack. They're so tiny and inconspicuous that they're easy to miss. They're about an inch long and so slender that they look like flying needles.

View Article

A Gulf Fritillary sips nectar from a Mexican sunflower (Tithonia), unaware of what will soon occur. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Article

Faster Than a Speeding Bullet

June 25th, 2014

Butterflies flutter. Bees don't. Indeed, some bees seem to possess Superman's extraordinary power of "faster than a speeding bullet." They're just lacking a blue costume, a red cape and an "S" on their thorax.

View Article

A praying mantis climbs down a lavender stem to get a closer look at the sleeping boy bees, longhorned digger bees, Melissodes agilis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Article

Sleeping with the Enemy

June 24th, 2014

Just call it sleeping with the enemy. But how can you sleep when you sense a predator in your midst? Last night, as usual, was Boys' Night Out in our lavender patch.

View Article