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Posts Tagged: Solano County
In Search of the First Bumble Bee of the Year
What are you doing on New Year's Day? Well, weather permitting, you can begin searching for the first bumble bee of the year in the two-county area...
A yellow-faced bumble bee, Bombus vosenenskii, foraging on oxalis near the Benicia State Capitol grounds on Jan. 13, 2021. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A honey bee and a yellow-faced bumble bee, Bombus vosenenskii, foraging on oxalis near the Benicia State Capitol grounds on Jan. 13, 2021. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The black-tailed bumble bee, Bombus melanopygus, foraging on rosemary on Jan. 25, 2020 on the grounds of the Benicia Capitol State Historic Park. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The black-tailed bumble bee, Bombus melanopygus, foraging on a rose on Jan. 25, 2020 in downtown Benicia. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A Checkered Past, a Checkered Future or Just Checkered?
Have you seen any Checkered White butterflies lately? They're quite common in the southern United States and northern Mexico (they're known as the...
A female Checkered White butterfly, Pontia protodice (as identified by UC Davis distinguished professor Art Shapiro) nectars on lavender in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The female Checkered White spreads its wings. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A female Checkered White butterfly, Pontia protodice nectaring on lavender. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The female Checkered White showing a rejection behavior although no males are around. "The 'tail in the air' is a sexual rejection posture," says UC Davis distinguished professor Art Shapiro.(Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Sneak Peak at a Couple of Solano County Fair Entries
A sneak peak at a couple of Solano County Fair entries...think insects! The COVID-19 pandemic derailed fairs and festivals, but now they're back on...
Heather DeGroot of Vallejo, coordinator of the McCormack Hall exhibits, Solano County Fair, shows a watercolor by Richard Laswell of Rio Vista that depicts three dragonflies. In back is an oils-acrylic butterfly by Ashley Workman of Vallejo. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Heather DeGroot displays an image of a syrphid fly and honey bee, the work of 17-year-old Matthew Agbayani of the Vaca Valley 4-H Club, Vacaville.(Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Talented artist Iris Mayhew of American Canyon entered these pieces in the Solano County Fair. She drew inspiration from her safari in Kenya. Her work will be displayed June 16-19 in McCormack Hall. She'll be depicting monarchs and Gulf Fritillaries next. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Syrphid flies are often mistaken for honey bees. Here a fly shares a blanketflower (Gaillardia) with a jumping spider, unaware of its presence. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
An Interview with a Budding Scientist
Teach 'em young, they say. Encourage them to learn about insects, spiders and other critters at a young age. When you first meet Brandon DeGroot, 6,...
Brandon DeGroot,6, examines the bug he just collected outside McCormack Hall, Solano County Fairgrounds. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Brandon DeGroot monitors how a bug crawls. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Brandon DeGroot gets a closer look at his bug. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
When you first meet 6-year-old Brandon DeGroot, he'll tell you "I love spiders and snakes" and he'll flash a big smile. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bees, Butterflies and Beetles and More at Dixon May Fair
Bees, butterflies and beetles will be well represented at the 145th annual Dixon May Fair, which opens Thursday, May 5 for a four-day run (May 5-8)...
Marine biologist Leta Myers, who clerked at the Dixon May Fair judging, holds a photo by Vaca Valley 4-H'er Matthew Agbayani. It depicts a honey bee and a syrphid fly on a sunflower. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Leta Myers admires this entry in the Dixon May Fair. It is by a Tremont Elementary School classroom and is on display in the Youth Building (Denverton Hall). Myers, a marine biologist, and her husband, in the military, just returned from Japan and their next move is to Washington state. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
