Bug Blog
Do You Know Where Your Moths Are?
It's Saturday night, July 18--or soon will be. Do you know where your moths are? It so happens that July 18 marks the beginning of National Moth Week, and that event has not gone unnoticed by the...
This small moth is known as a pterphorid plume moth. It was found in the UC Davis Arboretum. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The Atlas moth, Attacus atlas, is considered the largest moth in the world. It's on display at the Bohart Museum. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Clear the Calendar for the 2016 Pollinator Conference!
It's never too early to think about the pollinators. We're glad to see that the Center for Pollinator Research at Penn State University will host the third International Conference on Pollinator...
A yellow-faced bumble bee, Bombus vosnesenskii, foraging on a tower of jewels, Echium wildpretii. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Pollination ecologist Neal Williams, associate professor of entomology at UC Davis, is one of the conference organizers. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Karate Kick!
Boys will be boys! Especially on a Mexican sunflower (Tithonia). It's a favorite of Melissodes and Svastra sunflower bees. The males get downright defensive and aggressive when...
Two sunflower bees battle it out: a male Svastra (larger bee) delivers a quick kick to a smaller male Melissodes. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The male Melissodes (right) goes sprawling after a swift kick by a male Svastra. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Meet Your (Mead) Maker
There's a "me" in mead. And now you have a chance not only to meet your (mead) maker but learn how to make a small batch of mead. The UC Davis Honey and Pollination Center wants you to know...
Mead makers have the honey bee to thank for the key ingredient: honey. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Snuggle Bugs
Just call them "snuggle bugs." Or "snuggle bees." After spending the day chasing the girls and defending their patch of Mexican sunflowers or Tithonia, a cluster of Melissodes...
Male sunflower bees, Melissodes robustior, as identified by Robbin Thorp, distinguished emeritus professor of entomology at UC Davis, slumber away on a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)