Backyard Orchard News
Monarch Madness: Thanks, Monarch Mama!
Thar's gold in them thar hills? Probably not. But thar's definitely gold in that there pollinator...
A hungry monarch caterpillar chewing on a milkweed stem this morning in a Vacaville pollinator garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The monarch caterpillar swirls to get the best angle. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The long and short of it--a monarch caterpillar crawls on a stem to its next dining spot. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Even seed pods are fair game for hungry monarch caterpillars. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Close-up of a monarch caterpillar, taken with a Canon MPE-65mm lens. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Art Shapiro: Worst Monarch Season Ever, But Best MIlkweed Season Ever
This year ranks as the worst monarch season he's ever seen in California. But...this year ranks as...
A female monarch butterfly nectaring in a Vacaville pollinator garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Art Shapiro, UC Davis distinguished professor of evolution and ecology, fields questions at the May 26 Butterfly Summit, held at Annie's Annuals and Perennials, Richmond. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Once Upon a Praying Mantis...
The three men pause in front of the Kate Frey Pollinator Garden at the Sonoma Cornerstone and begin...
A female praying mantis, Mantis religiosa (as identified by praying mantis expert and UC Davis student Lohit Garikipati) is camouflaged in the Kate Frey Pollinator Garden, Sonoma Cornerstone. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
"Whoa! No pictures!" The female mantis raises her spiked leg. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
"I said no pictures!" The mantis covers her head with a spiked foreleg. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A sign informs visitors what the Kate Frey Pollinator Garden at Sonoma Cornerstone is all about. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A visitor takes images of the Kate Frey Pollinator Garden, Sonoma Cornerstone. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Meet Wendy Mather of California Master Beekeeper Program
Meet Wendy Mather, program manager of California Master Beekeeper Program (CAMBP) Bees are her...
Wendy Mather, program manager of the California Master Beekeeper Program, holds a frame at the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Wendy Mather, program manager of the California Master Beekeeper Program, at her office in the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Wendy Mather talks bees with Amador County students who signed up for a UC Davis Pollination Education Program. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Insect Wedding Photography-- Or How a Tired Ol' Male Proved He Wasn't
You're heard these idioms: The early bird gets the worm First come, first...
A newly eclosed female Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae) hanging from her empty chrysalis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A tired old male, his wings tattered and torn, is the first to arrive. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The action at the "altar": the newly eclosed female Gulf Fritillary and the tired old male. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Two Gulf Fritillary butterflies become one. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)