The Bohart Museum of Entomology at UC Davis is the place to "bee" on Saturday afternoon, May 16--especially if you want to learn more about native bees noted book authors Krystle Hickman and Felicity Muth.
That's when the Bohart will host a open house, themed "Buzz Words: Insects in Literature," from 1 to 4 p.m. in Room 1124 of the Academic Surge Building, 455 Crocker Lane, UC Davis campus.
The open house, free and family friendly, is the inspiration of UC Davis Entomology Graduate Student Association (EGSA) members Grace Horne, Mia Lippey and Marielle Hansen Friedman.
The event will feature three guest presentations, announced Tabatha Yang, the Bohart Museum's education and outreach coordinator:
- Krystle Hickman, a noted bee conservationist photographer and author of the book, The ABCs of California Native Bees, will be tabling throughout the event. At 1:30 p.m., she will give a 15-minute talk, followed by a question-and-answer period.
- Felicity Muth, who studies the cognitive ecology of wild-foraging and lab-based bumble bees, and authored the children's book, "Am I Even a Bee?", will give a 15-minute talk at 2:30 p.m., followed by a question-and-answer period.
- Christofer Brothers, a UC Davis doctoral candidate who researches dragonflies, will share his "rhyming prose" at 3:30 p.m. A question-and-answer period will follow.
Krystle Hickman. Hickman is a National Geographic Explorer, TEDx speaker, community scientist, native bee educator and artist. She also has published a desk of flash cards featuring 42 of the most commonly seen bee species in western United States. Many of her macro images of bees are currently on display in the Academic Surge hallway. Hickman has presented at the United Nations Biodiversity Conference and lectured a numerous colleges, including Harvard and UCLA.
Felicity Muth. Muth is an assistant professor in the Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, College of Biological Sciences. Her book, "Am I Even a Bee?" is described as "the story of Osmia, a solitary bee, decidedly green and unquestionably un-fuzzy. Osmia has always believed she is a bee, (her mom told her so), but recent run-ins with people, and even other insects, leave her wondering, “Am I even a bee?” Confused, Osmia faces an identity crisis, and she turns to her meadow for comfort. It is here that she meets her new friend and guide Xyla, a carpenter bee who, like Osmia, does not fit the black-and-yellow social mold. Through some adventures and chance encounters, Osmia and Xyla meet a slew of non-honey bees, each special and important to the meadow in their own unique way. Osmia discovers that while fame is great, diversity and acceptance are essential to a happy ecosystem."
Christofer Brothers. Brothers, a member of the Stacey Coombs lab, Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, College of Biological Sciences, is interested “in the interplay between capture tools and behavioral tactics of predators, specifically in the suborder Anisoptera, the dragonflies.” He is a frequent volunteer at the Bohart Museum open houses, and the annual UC Davis Picnic Day and UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day.
Yang and intern Jo Ridgeway will be staffing displays of fiction books that focus on insects. Macro photographer Larry Snyder of Davis loaned many of the books.
"We will also have the Woodland and Dixon librarians on hand as well," Yang said. "There will be an Eric Carle-inspired craft, and a book exchange."
Entomologist Jeff Smith, curator of the Lepidoptera collection, and fellow Bohart associate Greg Kareofelas will show specimens from the museum's worldwide butterfly collection and answer questions.
The Inspiration
The impetus of the open house? "We were inspired by reading and consuming texts that feature insects in our personal lives," Horne said. "For example, I recently watched The Fly, a horror movie wherein the protagonist slowly merges bodies with a fly. Insects are commonly treated as creepy or gross; the most obvious instances of them in literature are as inspiration for aliens or stories with a high 'ick factor.' We wanted to not only feature these stories but also the ones that see insects in a positive light, such as in the iconic stories of Eric Carle."
Carle (1929-2021), an author and illustrator, is best known for his book, "The Very Hungry Caterpillar," first published in 1969. With book sales topping 50 million, the work has been translated into more than 66 languages.
"As an avid reader and library-goer, I also wanted to involve the local libraries to provide access to books that the public may encounter at our event," Horne said. "The Bohart is the perfect place to engage the public in topics of entomology and literature. I’m sure there’s a ton of overlap between folks who visit the museum and other free institutions of learning like the library!"
"We hope that there is something for everyone at the event," Horne added, noting that the three speakers "have written about insects that inspire them. We hope that this will give visitors the opportunity to learn about the process of research, authorship, art, etc."
Horne and Friedman are doctoral candidates in the lab of urban landscape entomologist Emily Meineke, associate professor, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology. Lippey, who received her doctorate in entomology in April 2026, studied in the labs of Meineke and UC Davis Distinguished Emeritus Professor Jay Rosenheim.
The Bohart Museum, founded in 1946, is the home of a global collection of eight million insect specimens, plus a live petting zoo (Madagascar hissing cockroaches, stick insects and more) and an insect-themed gift shop.
Director of the Bohart Museum is Professor Jason Bond, the Evert and Marion Schlinger Endowed Chair of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, and the executive associate dean of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
For more information on the Bohart Museum, access the website at https://bohart.ucdavis.edu/ or email bmuseum@ucdavis.edu.
Cover image: Megachile fidelis on Tithonia. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
