Bug Squad

Bumble bee on bull thistle at Bodega Bay
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A monarch sips nectar from lantana near a Vacaville supermarket. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
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Mantis vs. a Monarch

December 7th, 2023
Can a praying mantis catch a monarch? Yes, it can. And yes, it does. It was Sept. 14, 2013. As I approached a Vacaville supermarket, I noticed pink lantana blooming furiously near the entrance, and then, a familiar-looking butterfly quietly sipping nectar. "Ah, there's a monarch," I observed.
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A close up of the UC Davis Entomology Graduate Student Association's all-time best-selling T-shirt, "The Beetles." Each image bears the family name: Phengogidae, Curculionidae, Cerambycidae and Scarabaeidae.
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The Beatles vs. The Beetles: This T-Shirt Never Fails to Draw Smiles

December 4th, 2023
Remember the celebrated image of George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and John Lennon crossing Abbey Road in single file outside their studios in London? It's the cover of their final album, "Abbey Road," released Sept. 26, 1969. All the Beatles, except Harrison, are wearing designer suits.
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A look inside a bee hive. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
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Honey Bee Is a True Communication Specialist

December 1st, 2023
Picture yourself as a waggle-dancing honey bee. You're dancing in the dark, on a small, crowded dance floor with lots of obstacles, and you're trying to communicate to other foragers where that great resource is.
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