Backyard Orchard News
A Chance Encounter with an Ichneumon
So here's this lady beetle patrolling a rosebud. It's early spring--April 15--in Vacaville,...
A lady beetle meeets a male parasitic wasp from the family Ichneumonidae. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The lady beetle continues to patrol the rosebud, while the male parasitic wasp quickly leaves the scene. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Can Lady Beetle Larvae Eat Aphids?
Can the larvae of lady beetles (aka ladybugs) eat aphids? Yes, they can. And yes, they...
Close-up of a lady beetle larva eating an aphid. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
From a distance, you can see the ladybug larva and a lot of aphids on this yellow rose. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A multicolored Asian lady beetle prowls a yellow rose bush in search of aphids. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The lady beetle lays her tiny eggs in clusters beneath a leaf. These are probably the eggs of a multicolored Asian lady beetle. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Is It an Insect? Find Out at UC Davis Picnic Day
Is it an insect? How can you tell? When the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology...
A popular attraction at Briggs Hall is this dispay: Is it an Insect? (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A colorful banner fronts Briggs Hall, home of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Ol' Blue Eyes: A Blue-Eyed Darner
Ol' Blue Eyes. What a treat to see. No, not an old movie starring Ol' Blue Eyes himself, Frank...
A Rhionaeschna multicolor blue-eyed darner, Aeshna multicolor, soaking up sun on a Spanish lavender in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Find the blue-eyed darner in the Spanish lavender! (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
What a Stretch to Get the Nectar!
How often do you see a honey bee "standing upright" to reach nectar? "Well, I guess I could just...
A honey bee "stands upright" to reach the nectar on a Photinia blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Okay, I'll buzz over to it. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)