Posts Tagged: Robbin Thorp

Remembering the Legendary Robbin Thorp

We cannot imagine a world without Dr. Robbin Thorp. The distinguished emeritus professor of entomology at the University of California, Davis--he preferred to be known as “Robbin”--was a global and legendary authority on bees, an amazing...

Robbin Thorp, distinguished emeritus professor of entomology, with Franklin's bumble bee, a bee he had been monitoring since 1998. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Robbin Thorp, distinguished emeritus professor of entomology, with Franklin's bumble bee, a bee he had been monitoring since 1998. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Co-instructor Robbin Thorp (far right, yellow shirt) at a recent Bee Course, sponsored by the American Museum of Natural History.

Co-instructor Robbin Thorp (far right, yellow shirt) at a recent Bee Course, sponsored by the American Museum of Natural History.

Robbin Thorp was a frequent docent at the Bohart Museum of Entomology where he also did research. This image was taken April 20, 2013. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Robbin Thorp was a frequent docent at the Bohart Museum of Entomology where he also did research. This image was taken April 20, 2013. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Global bee authority Robbin Thorp with two of the books he co-authored in 2014. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Global bee authority Robbin Thorp with two of the books he co-authored in 2014. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Robbin Thorp, a familiar figure in the spring, wearing his vest and trademark hat, and standing in front of a blossoming almond tree on Bee Biology Road, UC Davis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Robbin Thorp, a familiar figure in the spring, wearing his vest and trademark hat, and standing in front of a blossoming almond tree on Bee Biology Road, UC Davis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

This is the male Valley carpenter bee, Xylocopa varipuncta, a species that Robbin Thorp showed often at the Bohart Museum of Entomology and at other presentations. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

This is the male Valley carpenter bee, Xylocopa varipuncta, a species that Robbin Thorp showed often at the Bohart Museum of Entomology and at other presentations. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Boys Are Back in Town!

The boys are back in town. After the long winter and rainy spring, the boys are back in town. That would be the male Valley carpenter bees, Xylocopa varipuncta, or what Robbin Thorp, distinguished emeritus professor of entomology at UC Davis, calls...

A male Valley carpenter bee, Xylocopa varipuncta, nectaring on a tower of jewels, Echium wildpretii, in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A male Valley carpenter bee, Xylocopa varipuncta, nectaring on a tower of jewels, Echium wildpretii, in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The male Valley carpenter bee is often mistaken for a bumble bee, or what some have called a "golden bumble bee." (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The male Valley carpenter bee is often mistaken for a bumble bee, or what some have called a "golden bumble bee." (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The male Valley carpenter bee didn't perceive the photographer as a threat. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The male Valley carpenter bee didn't perceive the photographer as a threat. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The male Valley carpenter bee protrudes his proboscis (tongue) to sip nectar from a tower of jewels, Echium wildpretii. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The male Valley carpenter bee protrudes his proboscis (tongue) to sip nectar from a tower of jewels, Echium wildpretii. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

And off he goes, a male Valley carpenter bee in flight. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

And off he goes, a male Valley carpenter bee in flight. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A Memorable Week Pending for UC Davis Entomologists!

Next week promises to be memorable week for entomologists at the University of California, Davis. Oh, how they wish they could clone themselves so they could be in two places at the same time: in San Diego and on the UC Davis campus. First off is the...

Native pollinator specialist Robbin Thorp, UC Davis distinguished emeritus professor, will be honored at a special PBESA symposium for a liftime of work. He co-authored these two books in 2014. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Native pollinator specialist Robbin Thorp, UC Davis distinguished emeritus professor, will be honored at a special PBESA symposium for a liftime of work. He co-authored these two books in 2014. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Spotlighting the Work of Bee Expert Robbin Thorp

An honor well deserved. When the 103rd annual meeting of the Pacific Branch of the Entomological Society of America (PBESA) takes place March 31-April 3 in the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Spa and Marina, San Diego, something very special will happen....

Native pollinator specialist Robbin Thorp, UC Davis distinguished emeritus professor of entomology, will be honored at a special symposium April 2 at the 103rd annual meeting of the Pacific Branch, Entomological Society of America. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Native pollinator specialist Robbin Thorp, UC Davis distinguished emeritus professor of entomology, will be honored at a special symposium April 2 at the 103rd annual meeting of the Pacific Branch, Entomological Society of America. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Robbin Thorp, UC Davis distinguished emeritus professor of entomology, shows UC master gardener Kathy Ziccardi his collection of native bee specimens. The event: a Celebration of Bees in Mill Valley in 2011.(Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Robbin Thorp, UC Davis distinguished emeritus professor of entomology, shows UC master gardener Kathy Ziccardi his collection of native bee specimens. The event: a Celebration of Bees in Mill Valley in 2011.(Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Native pollinator specialist Robbin Thorp, a global authority on bumble bees and other native bees, co-authored two major books in 2014. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Native pollinator specialist Robbin Thorp, a global authority on bumble bees and other native bees, co-authored two major books in 2014. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Robbin Thorp (standing, far right, yellow shirt), an instructor at The Bee Course, with students and fellow instructors.

Robbin Thorp (standing, far right, yellow shirt), an instructor at The Bee Course, with students and fellow instructors.

Drum Roll...First Bumble Bee of the Year!

We have a winner! Several UC Davis bumble bee enthusiasts--encouraged by native pollinator specialist Robbin Thorp, UC Davis distinguished emeritus professor of entomology--compete every January to find the first bumble bee of the year in Yolo and...

Check out the pollen on this black-tailed bumble bee, Bombus melanopygus, nectaring on manzanita, as photographed by Kim Chacon, UC Davis doctoral candidate on Jan. 10.

Check out the pollen on this black-tailed bumble bee, Bombus melanopygus, nectaring on manzanita, as photographed by Kim Chacon, UC Davis doctoral candidate on Jan. 10.

Black-tailed bumble bee, Bombus melanopygus, heads for a manzanita blossom in the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden. (Photo by Kim Chacon)

Black-tailed bumble bee, Bombus melanopygus, heads for a manzanita blossom in the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden. (Photo by Kim Chacon)

Close-up of a Bombus melanopygus heading for a manzanita blossom. (Photo by Kim Chacon)

Close-up of a Bombus melanopygus heading for a manzanita blossom. (Photo by Kim Chacon)

Native pollinator specialist Robbin Thorp, distinguished emeritus professor of entomology, teaching at The Bee Course last August. (Photo by Kim Chacon)

Native pollinator specialist Robbin Thorp, distinguished emeritus professor of entomology, teaching at The Bee Course last August. (Photo by Kim Chacon)

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