Backyard Orchard News
Meet the 'Extreme Insects' Aug. 19 at Bohart Museum of Entomology Open House
Talk about extremes! Have you ever thought about how some insects have adapted to fire, ice, acid,...
This is part of the beetle collection at the Bohart Museum of Entomology. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey
A sand wasp, Bembix americana, foraging on seaside daisies at Bodega Bay. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bugs Share Spotlight with Pigs, Polar Bears and Pigeons: ACE Awards
This was a case of bugs sharing the spotlight with pigs, polar bears and pigeons. Six...
Children of California migratory workers react to a Madagascar hissing cockroach during their tour of the Bohart Museum of Entomology. A news story about the event won a gold or first-place award in the ACE competition. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Lynn Kimsey, director of the Bohart Museum of Entomology, fields questions from the tour group. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
This monarch caterpillar, discovered Oct. 27, 2017 on milkweed in Vacaville, survived and hitched a ride to an overwintering site in Santa Cruz, thanks to "Monarch Mom" and "Good Samaritan Rita LeRoy of Vallejo. The blog, "Once Upon a Monarch," won a silver award at the ACE conference. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
"Monarch Mom" Rita LeRoy (pictured) of Vallejo transported "Ms. Vacaville Monarch" to an overwintering site in Santa Cruz. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Itsy Bitsy Spider
The itsy bitsy spider climbed up the water spout. Down came the rain and washed the spider out. Out...
Yes, we can see you. A crab spider on Mexican sunflower (Tithonia). (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The crab spider ventures out on a petal of the Mexican sunflower (Tithonia). (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A perfectly camouflaged crab spider on a gold coin flower (Asteriscus maritimus). (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Portrait of My Old Flame
Just call it "my old flame." Well, it's not mine, but it is a flame of sorts, a flame skimmer...
A flame skimmer dragonfly (Libellula saturata) perches on a bamboo stake in a Vacaville pollinator garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bee-Hold, The Eye of the Bee-Holder
Bee-hold, the eye of a bee-holder. When you have a "Bee Crossing" sign in your pollinator garden,...
"Bee Crossing" signs are favorites in pollinator gardens, not for the bees, but for the humans. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Sign of the times: A European wool carder bees (Anthidium manicatum) is surrounded by honey bees on the "Bee Crossing" sign. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Close-up of European wool carder bee nectaring on a blue spike salvia. The eye of a honey bee adds to this photo. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)