Bug Blog
The Overlooked Bees of Bodega Head
Those who hike the trails of Bodega Head, a small promontory in Sonoma County overlooking the Pacific Ocean, enjoy the colorful wildflowers, the roaring ocean, and a sheltered sandy beach. They...
A female digger bee finishes her nest. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A digger bee scouts the landscape. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Flying low, flying fast. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Sandy cliffs of Bodega Head hold bee villages. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Welcome Back, Gulf Frit Caterpillars
The scrub jays are just doing their job. But they're doing it too well. The gulf frittillary butterflies (Agraulis vanillae) are mating and depositing their eggs on our passion flower vines--as we...
Gulf fritillary caterpillar munching away on passion flower leaves. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Gulf fritillary caterpillar crawls along a stem. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Two stages of caterpillars. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Blue Wasp at Bodega Bay
Visitors to Bodega Head, Sonoma County, will see lupine, California golden poppies, wild radish, mustard, seaside daises and scores of other flowers in bloom. And if they're lucky--a metallic blue...
Metallic blue digger wasp from Sphecidae family. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Digger wasp enters hole. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
It's So Vein
Occasionally we see a honey bee on the violet trumpet vine (Clytostoma calystegiodies) but the hummingbirds seem to like it better. The delicate purple-veined blossoms burst out in late spring or...
A honey bee on a violet trumpet blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
For Beginners, a Guide to Pollinators
So many flowers. So many pollinators. So many floral visitors. On every field trip, we see something new and different, such as the male long-horned bee, Melissodes communis (below) on...
Male long-horned bee, Melissodes communis, on salvia. Identified by Robbin Thorp. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Female sunflower bee, Svastra obliqua expurgata, on Mexican hat flower. Identified by Robbin Thorp. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)