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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey October 28, 2010


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

Our party of seven enjoyed cool, sunny and very windy conditions this morning. Caterpillar numbers and diversity were noticeably higher. Profusely blooming Thoroughwort and Blue Mistflower were attracting butterflies, wasps, bees and flies. The mating crab spiders pictured below were engaged in an interesting ritual: the male (who could easily become dinner for the larger female) wrapped a few strands of silk over his docile partner before mating.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Chortophaga viridifasciata (northern green-striped grasshopper nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Blepharida rhois (sumac leaf beetle)
photo by Val Bugh


Xysticus sp. (crab spiders mating)
photo by Val Bugh


Argyrodes sp. (spider egg sac)
photo by Val Bugh


Phosphila miselioides (spotted phosphila caterpillar)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (inchworm, family geometridae)
photo by Val Bugh


Eupithecia miserulata (common pug caterpillar)
photo by Val Bugh


Microcentrum rhombifolium (greater angle-wing)
photo by Val Bugh


Orphulella speciosa (pasture grasshopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (green lacewing)
photo by Val Bugh


Vanessa virginiensis (American lady)
photo by Val Bugh


Anaea andria (goatweed leafwing)
photo by Val Bugh


Papilio cresphontes (giant swallowtail)
photo by Val Bugh


Mestra amymone (common mestra)
photo by Val Bugh


Papilio multicaudata (two-tailed swallowtail)
photo by Val Bugh


Carposina sasakii (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Ammophila sp. (thread-waisted wasp)
photo by Val Bugh


Gerstaeckeria sp. (weevil)
photo by Val Bugh


Harrisina sp. (grapeleaf skeletonizer)
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)
    Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
    Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)
    Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria)
    Lincoln's Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii)
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
    Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula)
    Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
    Western Scrub-jay (Aphelocoma californica)
    White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Danaus gilippus  Queen
        Danaus plexippus  Monarch
        Agraulis vanillae  Gulf Fritillary (adult & larva)
        Junonia coenia  Common Buckeye
        Mestra amymone  Common Mestra
        Vanessa virginiensis  American Lady
        Anaea andria  Goatweed Leafwing
        Phyciodes texana  Texan Crescent
      papilionidae  Papilio multicaudata  Two-tailed Swallowtail (larva)
        Papilio cresphontes  Giant Swallowtail
      pieridae  Pontia protodice  Checkered White
        Nathalis iole  Dainty Sulphur
        Eurema lisa  Little Yellow
        Eurema nicippe  Sleepy Orange
      lycaenidae  Hemiargus isola  Reakirt's Blue
        Strymon melinus  Gray Hairstreak
      hesperiidae  Pyrgus communis/albescens  Common/White Checkered-skipper
        Lerodea eufala  Eufala Skipper
        Hylephila phyleus  Fiery Skipper
        Lerema accius  Clouded Skipper
        Atalopedes campestris  Sachem
        Euphyes vestris  Dun Skipper
      noctuidae  Caenurgina erechtea  Forage Looper Moth
        Bulia deducta  Moth
        Phosphila miselioides  Spotted Phosphila (larva)
        Unknown sp.  Moth
        Unknown sp.  Moth (larva)
        Spodoptera ornithogalli  Yellow-striped Armyworm
        Schinia chrysellus  Broomweed Flower Moth (larva)
        Heliothis virescens  Tobacco Budworm
      arctiidae  Estigmene acrea  Saltmarsh Moth (larva & eggs)
      geometridae  Glenoides texanaria  Texas Gray Moth
        Pleuroprucha insulsaria  Common Tan Wave
        Macaria aequiferaria  Woody Angle
        Unknown sp.  Moth (larva)
        Eupithecia miserulata  Common Pug (larva)
      crambidae  Nomophila nearctica  Lucerne Moth
        Euchromius ocelleus  Grass-veneer Moth
      pyralidae  Melitara junctolineella  Cactus Borer Moth
      carposinidae  Carposina sasakii  Moth
      zygaenidae  Harrisina sp.  Grapeleaf Skeletonizer
      psychidae  Unknown sp.  Bagworm (cocoon)

    odonata  coenagrionidae  Argia immunda  Kiowa Dancer
      lestidae  Lestes australis  Southern Spreadwing
      libellulidae  Libellula croceipennis  Neon Skimmer
        Pantala sp.  Glider
        Sympetrum corruptum  Variegated Meadowhawk

    coleoptera  coccinellidae  Coccinella septempunctata  Seven-spotted Ladybird
        Harmonia axyridis  Multi-colored Asian Ladybird (adult & larva)
        Cycloneda sanguinea  Red Ladybird
      chrysomelidae  Asphaera lustrans  Flea Beetle
        Diabrotica undecimpunctata  Spotted Cucumber Beetle
        Blepharida rhois  Sumac Leaf Beetle
      tenebrionidae  Eleodes goryi  Darkling Beetle
      curculionidae  Gerstaeckeria sp.  Weevil
        Curculio sp.  Nut Weevil

    hemiptera  coreidae  Acanthocephala terminalis  Coreid Bug
        Hypselonotus punctiventris  Coreid Bug
        Anasa tristis  Squash Bug
        Mozena lunata  Mesquite Bug
        Leptoglossus phyllopus  Leaf-footed Bug
        Leptoglossus zonatus  Leaf-footed Bug
        Narnia femorata  Cactus Bug
        Chelinidea tabulata  Opuntia Bug
      alydidae  Hyalymenus tarsatus  Texas Bow-legged Bug
      reduviidae  Zelus renardii  Assassin Bug
        Zelus longipes  Milkweed Assassin Bug
        Phymata sp.  Ambush Bug (nymph)
      pentatomidae  Euschistus servus  Brown Stink Bug
        Euschistus obscurus  Stink Bug (adult & nymph)
        Chinavia hilare  Green Stink Bug
        Brochymena sp.  Rough Stink Bug (nymph)
      miridae  Polymerus basalis  Plant Bug
      scutelleridae  Diolcus chrysorrhoeus  Shield Bug

    homoptera  acanaloniidae  Acanalonia parva  Planthopper
      cicadellidae  Homalodisca vitripennis  Glassy-winged Sharpshooter

    hymenoptera  vespidae  Polistes exclamans  Paper Wasp
        Polistes fuscatus  Paper Wasp
        Vespula squamosa  Southern Yellowjacket
        Eumenes fraternus  Potter Wasp
      sphecidae  Ammophila sp.  Thread-waisted Wasp
      apidae  Bombus pensylvanicus  Bumble Bee
        Apis mellifera  Honey Bee
        Xylocopa tabaniformis  Large Carpenter Bee

    diptera  tachinidae  Unknown sp.  Tachinid Fly
      dolichopodidae  Unknown sp.  Long-legged Fly
      neriidae  Odontoloxozus longicornis  Cactus Fly
      syrphidae  Toxomerus marginatus  Flower Fly
        Copestylum sp.  Flower Fly

    orthoptera  acrididae  Schistocerca sp.  Bird Grasshopper (nymph)
        Schistocerca americana  American Bird Grasshopper
        Melanoplus sp.  Spur-throated Grasshopper (nymph)
        Melanoplus sp.  Spur-throated Grasshopper
        Campylacantha olivacea  Fuzzy Olive-green Grasshopper
        Orphulella speciosa  Pasture Grasshopper
        Chortophaga viridifasciata  Northern Green-striped Grasshopper (nymph)
        Lactista aztecus  Aztec Bandwing
        Arphia simplex  Plains Yellow-winged Grasshopper
        Trimerotropis pallidipennis  Pallid-winged Grasshopper
      tettigoniidae  Scudderia furcata  Fork-tailed Bush Katydid (adult & nymph)
        Microcentrum rhombifolium  Greater Angle-wing

    mantodea  mantidae  Stagmomantis carolina  Carolina Mantis (adult & eggs)

    neuroptera  hemerobiidae  Unknown sp.  Brown Lacewing (larva)
      chrysopidae  Unknown sp.  Green Lacewing

    araneae  araneidae  Argiope aurantia  Black and Yellow Garden Spider
      salticidae  Phidippus audax  Bold Jumper
        Phidippus arizonensis  Arizona Jumper
        Phidippus cardinalis  Cardinal Jumper
        Habronattus coecatus  Jumping Spider
        Eris militaris  Bronze Jumper
      theriidae  Argyrodes sp.  Spider (eggs)
      thomisidae  Mecaphesa sp.  Crab Spider
        Xysticus sp.  Crab Spider
      dictynidae  Dictyna sp.  Meshweb Weaver
      oxyopidae  Peucetia viridans  Green Lynx

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