If something is bugging you and it has six or more legs, help is just a phone call away. A new insect identification hot line has been established this month at the University of California, Davis, to help Northern Californians put a name to the bugs in their lives. Residents in the 916 and 707 area codes can simply dial 1-(900)-225-BUGS. Callers will pay $3 for the first minute and $1 for each additional minute. Students and staff members from the entomology department will be on hand between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to answer calls and identify both insects and spiders. If the identification or requested information are complicated and time-consuming, the caller will be transferred to a non-toll line. In particularly puzzling cases, callers may be asked to mail in a sample insect for identification. "This process is a lot like medical diagnostics, except we'll be diagnosing an organism, rather than a disease," says Lynn Kimsey, a professor of entomology, who is launching the new program. The UC Davis bug line is modeled after a highly successful program at the University of Minnesota. In addition to providing a community service, Kimsey hopes the new bug line also will help students hone their identification skills and learn how to deal with the public as part of a training and internship program in biological diagnostics. If the program generates sufficient public interest, the 900 number could generate funds to provide salaries for the students who staff it. Although initially restricted to two Northern California area codes, the program may eventually expand to cover the entire state and also offer diagnostic services for weeds and animal pests. "We're particularly excited about this service because it will extend the expertise of the university to the huge urban and suburban communities of the state," said Kimsey. The new bug line is sponsored by the UC Davis Center for Biosystematics.