Who Doesn't Love Bugs?

UC Davis student Danny Nguyen coaxes a walking stick or stick insect. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

If you had asked that question at the Bohart Museum of Entomology open house at the seventh annual Biodiversity Museum Day last Saturday at the University of California, Davis, the Yellow Shirts would have been proud.

The Yellow Shirts were the volunteers--the insect enthusiasts who share their time, dedication and expertise. 

Check out the photos and you can see and feel--and almost hear--the excitement.

• UC Davis student Danny Nguyen coaxing a walking stick to climb his arm.
• UC Davis student Diego Rivera showing Madagascar hissing cockroaches.
• UC Davis doctoral candidate Jessica Gillung encouraging questions from an inquisitive group of youngsters and adults.
• UC Davis entomology graduate Joel Hernandez displaying a walking stick or stick insect.
• UC Davis entomology student Lohit Garikipati showing his orchid praying mantis and others from his collection.
• Bohart Museum associate Noah Crockette, Sacramento City College student, discussing his collection trip to Belize, led by faculty members Fran Keller of Folsom Lake College and Dave Wyatt of Sacramento City College.
• Entomologist Jeff Smith showing the butterfly/moth collection that he curates at the Bohart.
• Professor Dave Wyatt of Sacramento City College discussing the insects he collected in Belize.

The day was still new when someone penned "holding insects" to answer the bulletin-board question, "What do you like best about the exhibits?" Many more comments followed.

The Bohart Museum, directed by Lynn Kimsey, professor of entomology, is home to some 8 million insect specimens, plus a live "petting zoo" and a gift shop. It's located in Room 1124 of the Academic Surge Building on Crocker Lane.

If you missed Biodiversity Museum Day, the next major event is the campuswide UC Davis Picnic Day on Saturday, April 21 when the Bohart Museum and other entities will greet thousands of visitors.  And it's free.

Meanwhile, the insect museum's regular hours are from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays.  Admission is free. For more information, contact the bmuseum@ucdavis.edu or access the website or Facebook page.