Bug Blog
Flurry of Pink at Gold Ridge
There's a flurry of pink at the Gold Ridge. That would be the Luther Burbank Gold Ridge Experiment Farm in Sebastopol. "Luther Burbank bought his 15-acre farm on Gold Ridge in 1885 in Sebastopol,"...
A pink lady, Amaryllis belladonna, nearly swallows a foraging honey bee. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A honey bee trails the pink petals of a naked lady, Amaryllis belladonna. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Are Western Monarchs Heading for Extinction?
Are western monarch butterflies heading for extinction? A Sept. 7 article in Reuters, headlined "Monarchs in Western United States Risk Extinction, Scientists Say," indicated that "Monarch...
A male monarch takes flight on Sept. 12 in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A male monarch heads for another flower on tropical milkweed, Asclepias curassavica, in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Startled, a male monarch abruptly leaves a tropical milkweed blossom, Asclepias curassavica, in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Monarchs nectaring on tropical milkweed, Asclepias curassavica, in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A Bright Face in the Garden: Banded Argiope
We have bright faces in our Vacaville, Calif., pollinator garden. The bright faces are usually that of assorted bees and butterflies nectaring on members of the sunflower family: Mexican sunflower...
A banded garden spider, Argiope trifasciata, stretches out near its wrapped bee in a Vacaville, Calif. pollinator garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
See the freeloader fly, family Milichiidae, feasting on the wrapped bee? Below it: the banded garden spider, Argiope trifasciata. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Close-up of the banded garden spider, Argiope trifasciata. Argiope is Latin for “with bright face” while trifasciata is Latin for “three-banded.” (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The Day a Widow Skimmer Came Calling
Just as all lady bugs aren't ladies, all widow skimmer dragonflies aren't female. A mature male Libellula luctuosa, aka “Widow Skimmer," (as identified by Bohart Museum of Entomology associate...
A mature male Libellula luctuosa, aka “Widow Skimmer," perches on a bamboo stake in a Vacaville pollinator garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A strong gust of wind pushed the widow skimmer's wings below its body. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Close-up of mature male Libellula luctuosa, aka “Widow Skimmer." This one was recently mated. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Exploring the Wonders of Insects--With a UC Davis Aboretum Talk and Tour
If you want to learn about insects, join entomologists Joel Hernandez and Melissa Cruz for their talk and tour of the UC Arboretum and Public Garden from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 10. The...
Entomologist Joel Hernandez led a butterfly tour last year at the UC Davis Arboretum. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)