What’s a picnic without bugs?
At the 112th annual campuswide UC Davis Picnic Day on Saturday, April 18, bugs are not only invited, but escorted.
The “stars of the show” are the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology’s line-up of cockroaches, flies, mosquitoes, ants, bees, tarantulas, stick insects, hornworms, lady beetles, nematodes and more at Briggs Hall. Favorite activities include the traditional cockroach races and maggot art.
Heading the student-faculty entomology committee this year are UC Davis Entomology Graduate Student Association (EGSA) member Grace Horne, a doctoral candidate in the lab of urban landscape entomologist Emily Meineke, associate professor, and Marshall McMunn, assistant professor of teaching.
New this year will be origami insect art, coordinated by McMunn; and a wetlands restoration exhibit headed by medical entomologist and geneticist Geoffrey Attardo, associate professor, Department of Entomology and Nematology.
The entomological activities, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., all will take place in or around Briggs Hall: in Rooms 122 and 158; in the courtyard; and on the lawn.
EGSA will be selling its student-designed T-shirts and stickers near the entrance of Briggs. The official EGSA Picnic Day 2026 shirt is “Product of Migration,” featuring migratory insects, and “was primarily drawn” by Veronica Casey, a doctoral candidate in the nematology lab of Shahid Siddique, sad said EGSA treasurer Briley Mullen, a PhD student in the lab of Ian Grettenberger. She added that it was a collaborative effort between Veronica; El Robeck, a second-year entomology PhD student in the lab of Professor Chris Barker; and Carla-Cristina “CC” Edwards, a doctoral candidate in the Attardo lab. The color: light blue. It will be sold as a T-shirt and a long-sleeve shirt. It also will be among the stickers for sale in the EGSA booth.
The second-place winning T-shirt in the EGSA contest was “Picnic Day with Pals,” designed by Olivia Lopez, a first-year entomology PhD student in the lab of Professor Fumika Hamada of the Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior. The emblem is also a sticker. EGSA sells T-shirts and stickers year-around sales on its website at https://ucdavisentgrad.square.site/.
The list of activities or events, in alphabetical order:
Bohart Museum of Entomology Pop-Up Tent
Grounds of Briggs Hall
1 to 4 p.m.
A pop-up tent, staffed by the Bohart Museum scientists will feature the “Oh, My” drawers and a petting zoo of stick insects (walking sticks) and Madagascar hissing cockroaches. Visitors can test their insect-collecting skills by netting a replica of a butterfly and winning a prize. (The Bohart Museum headquarters in the Academic Surge Building, 455 Crocker Lane, will be closed Picnic Day).
Bug Doctor
Briggs Hall Entryway
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“The Doctor Is In.” The public is invited to meet a “Bug Doctor” and ask questions. Graduate students and faculty will answer such questions as “How can I control ants in my kitchen?” and “What’s that bug?” Visitors are encouraged to bring an insect or photo of the insect that they want identified.
Cardboard Cutouts
Front of Briggs
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cardboard cutouts of assorted insects will be set up so visitors can portray a bug and take images.
Creepy Crawlers
Briggs Hall 158
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (break 12:30 to 1)
Graduate student arachnologists, headed by Emma “Em” Jochim of the Jason Bond lab, will display live tarantula, scorpions, vinegaroon, and whip spiders.
Dr. Death
122 Briggs
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Meet forensic entomologist Robert “Dr. Bob” Kimsey, now emeritus, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematolgoy, and find out how insects are used in forensics.
EGSA T-Shirts and Stickers
Briggs Entrance
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The UC Davis Entomology Graduate Students Association (EGSA) will be selling assorted T-shirts and its newly designed T-shirt, “Product of Migration” as well as the all-time best seller, “The Beetles,” a take-off of the cover of The Beatles’ Abbey Road album, which shows John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Star crossing Abbey Road. The EGSA shirt shows four beetles (family names Phengogidae, Curculionidae, Cerambycidae and Scarabaeidae) crossing Abbey Road. Other popular T-shirts include Entomo Gothic (a play on the American Gothic), Whip Scorpion, Bee Haw, Barbie Bugbie (a pink moth) and They See Me Rollin’ (dung beetles).
Entomology at UC Davis
122 Briggs Hall
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
This is a miscellaneous display of various fields of entomology. Visitors will see insect specimens, insect galleries in wood, and photographic and textual information.
Fly-Tying
Briggs Hall Courtyard
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Fly Fishers of Davis, comprised of area anglers who love to fly fish, will show attendees how to tie a fly. The finished flies are a gift to the attendees.
Glowing Bugs
Briggs Hall 158
9 to 5 (12:30 to 1 p.m. break)
Visitors will see assorted insects (hornworms, scorpions and millipedes) that glow under ultraviolet (LV) light in an interaction of entomology and chemistry.
Grettenberger Lab: Integrated Pest Management/Biocontrol
Briggs Hall 122
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Ian Grettenberg, an associate professor of Cooperative Extension, and his lab will share their expertise on beneficial insects; biological control of pests affecting plants; and insects, mites, and other arthropods affecting plants.
Insect Origami
Briggs Courtyard
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Graduate students will assist visitors in “transforming a simple square of paper into a beautiful insect to take home. This activity blends meticulous precision with creative flair, offering a meditative yet challenging experience for all skill levels.”
Maggot Art
Briggs Hall Courtyard, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Maggot Art involves two artists–the maggots and individual youths and adults. They dip a maggot into water-based, non-toxic paint and let it crawl–or be guided–to create art on paper, a conversation piece suitable for framing or to post on the refrigerator door. Rebecca O’Flaherty, a former graduate student of Bob Kimsey’s, coined the educational teaching curriculum, “Maggot Art,” back in 2001 when she was studying at the University of Hawaii. She was rearing blowflies for her forensic research and wanted an activity to draw the interest of elementary school students. She also wanted to generate interest and respect for forensic entomology. Her Maggot Art quickly drew national interest. The CSI television show featured one of her works, “Ancient Offering,” which hung on the permanent set in Gil Grissom’s office. O’Flaherty also exhibited her work at art shows, including a two-month exhibition at the Capital Athletic Club, Sacramento, in 2007.
Mosquito Control
Front of Briggs Hall
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Professionals from the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District will share information about mosquitoes and arthropod vectors, such as ticks, and how to avoid bites. They also will explain how to prevent mosquito breeding in their yards.
Nematology at UC Davis
122 Briggs Hall
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Visitors will learn about beneficial nematodes and the ones that parasitize animals and plants. They will see preserved specimens of animal and plant-parasitic nematodes, and a video stream of Caenorhabditis elegans.
Pollinator Exhibit
122 Brigs Hall
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Visitors will learn about native bees and other pollinators through an art-science craft coordinated by the lab of Rachel Vannette, professor and vice chair of the department. Graduate students will share information on how insects pollinate flowers and crops. A display of live bumble bees is also planned (permits needed).
Mosquito Control Booth
Entrance to Briggs (below front steps)
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District scientists will be providing information on mosquitoes, answering questions, and offering give-a-ways.
Roach Races
Front of Briggs Hall
11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Roaches scurry down the track, as the crowd cheers for their favorite. Names are solicited for the roaches.
UC Statewide Integrated Pest Management (UC IPM)
Briggs Hall Courtyard
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
UC IPM will share educational information, answer questions, invite the crowd to spin a wheel for prizes, and give away live lady beetles (aka ladybugs) and (temporary) insect tattoos.
Wetlands Restoration Project
122 Briggs Hall
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The lab of medical entomologist and geneticist Geoffrey Attardo will explain and show their work involving the restoration of wetlands. Attardo has led free-and-family-friendly workshops on restoring healthy wetlands communities. The project involves collecting water samples at the edge of Cache Creek and then using microscopes to examine the tiny organisms that are key to a clean. healthy environment.
See list at https://tinyurl.com/4278yn4c
