Bug Blog
Anise Swallowtail, a Sunny Butterfly
It's a joy to see the anise swallowtail (Papilio zelicaon) fluttering around in community gardens, bee gardens and parks. Last weekend in a Benicia community garden, we spotted this sunny butterfly,...
Anise swallowtail visiting a community park in Benicia. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Anise swallowtail foraging on wild radish. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
We have liftoff! Anise swallowtail leaves the wild radish. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Caterpillar of the anise swallowtail. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
An Art Car Perfect for an Entomologist
Ever been to the Burning Man Festival and checked out the art cars? No, and no. But last Sunday at the Berkeley Marina, we saw an art car that looked as if it could have been at the Burning...
An stylized ant on the art car. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Time will tell. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Art car holds many treasures. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The end. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Can You See the Leaf?
Once you've seen a leaffooted bug (genus Leptoglossus), you'll never forget it. If you look closely, you'll see a leaflike structure on each hind leg. It's especially noticeable when the bug...
A leaffooted bug on a tomato. This is Leptoglossus phyllopus, as identified by senior museum scientist Steve Heydon of the Bohart Museum of Entomology, UC Davis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Two's company in this photo of two leaffooted bugs. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Red nymph of leaffooted bug. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Nymph of leaffooted bug checks out it surroundings. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Like a Needle in a Haystack
Finding a tan-colored damselfly in a patch of fading English lavender is like finding a needle in the proverbial haystack. They're so tiny and inconspicuous that they're easy to miss. They're about...
Damselfly on a leaf in the late afternoon. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A cluster of red mites on a damselfly in the early morning. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Faster Than a Speeding Bullet
Butterflies flutter. Bees don't. Indeed, some bees seem to possess Superman's extraordinary power of "faster than a speeding bullet." They're just lacking a blue costume, a red cape and...
A Gulf Fritillary sips nectar from a Mexican sunflower (Tithonia), unaware of what will soon occur. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A speeding bullet, a male longhorned digger bee, targets the unsuspecting Gulf Fritillary. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Startled by the digger bee, the Gulf Fritillary shoots straight up. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
It's back to normal. The Gulf Fritillary finds another blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)