Bug Blog
Of Butterfly Patterns and Genetic Codes
Who knew? You've probably watched those colorful painted ladies (Vanessa cardui) fluttering about in your yard, but have you read the newly published research about their wing color patterns...
A painted lady, Vanessa cardui, on lantana in Vacaville, Calif. Now researchers at the University of Manitoba have identified the genetic code by which butterflies can assign color patterns to different parts of their wings during development. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A painted lady, Vanessa cardui, nectaring on lantana in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The presence of a predator startles a painted lady, Vanessa cardui. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Lady Beetles: The First Ladies of the Garden Having a Ball
See those red spots on your milkweed seed pods? Lady beetles (aka ladybugs or "garden heroes") are feasting on aphids. And they're having a ball. We've been watching the critters on our milkweed,...
A lady beetle feasts on aphids on a milkweed plant, Gomphocarpus physocarpus, also known as balloon-plant milkweed or hairy balls. Note the spiky hairs. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Peek-a-boo? Or peek-a-beetle? A lady beetle, resplendent in red, crawls through the spiky hairs of milkweed seed pods. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Hurry! A lady beetle snags aphids on a milkweed seed pod, while other aphids try to escape (far right). (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
What This Katydid Did...
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...
Who goes there? That would be a katydid peeking out between yellow rose petals. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The green katydid cannot camouflage itself on a yellow rose. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bottoms up! A katydid tunnels into a yellow rose. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Once Upon a Monarch...
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...
A monarch caterpillar dines on tropical milkweed on Oct. 27, 2017 in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The monarch caterpillar, found Oct. 27 on milkweed in Vacaville, Calif., formed this chrysalis on Nov. 4. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
On Nov. 22, the chrysalis darkened, revealing the iconic orange, black and white wings of the monarch in all its transparency. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
On Nov. 22, the monarch eclosed. It's a girl! Here she clings to her pupal case. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Monarch Mom Rita LeRoy, farm keeper at Loma Vista Farm, Vallejo, is ready to release the Vacaville-born and reared monarch at the butterfly sanctuary at Natural Bridges State Park, Santa Cruz, on Nov. 24.
Guess How Many Are Coming to Dinner?
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...
Dinner for one? One and done! (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Dinner for two? This is something new! (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Dinner for three? Let's all say "Whee!" (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Dinner for four? We can accommodate even more! (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)