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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey October 7, 2010


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

Six participants enjoyed a lovely cool morning which eventually gave way to a rather warm sunny day. Here is a little additional information about some of the pictured animals: The ensign wasp lays its eggs on those of cockroaches, which its young then devour. The velvet ant is actually a female wasp; be careful as they can sting! The gulf fritillary pupa was bending in order to catch the warmth of the morning sun.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Agraulis vanillae (gulf fritillary)
photo by Val Bugh


Aphis nerii (oleander aphid)
photo by Val Bugh


Argia immunda (Kiowa dancer)
photo by Val Bugh


Eleodes goryi (darkling beetle)
photo by Val Bugh


Sympetrum corruptum (variegated meadowhawk, female)
photo by Val Bugh


Evania appendigaster (ensign wasp)
photo by Val Bugh


Automeris io (Io moth larvae)
photo by Val Bugh


Campylacantha olivacea (fuzzy olive-green grasshopper, brown phase)
photo by Val Bugh


Syrbula admirabilis (handsome grasshopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Caenurgina erechtea (forage looper moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Agraulis vanillae (gulf fritillary pupa)
photo by Val Bugh


Danaus plexippus (monarch pupa)
photo by Val Bugh


Estigmene acrea (salt marsh caterpillar)
photo by Val Bugh


Phidippus arizonensis (Arizona jumper, male)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (tachinid fly)
photo by Val Bugh


Dasymutilla texanella (velvet ant)
photo by Val Bugh


Zelus longipes (milkweed assassin bug)
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)

  • Amphibians:
    Rio Grande Leopard Frog (Rana berlandieri)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Danaus gilippus  Queen
        Danaus plexippus  Monarch (adult, larva, pupa)
        Agraulis vanillae  Gulf Fritillary (adult & pupa)
        Junonia coenia  Common Buckeye
        Asterocampa celtis  Hackberry Emperor
        Vanessa atalanta  Red Admiral
        Vanessa cardui  Painted Lady
      pieridae  Phoebis sennae  Cloudless Sulphur (adult & egg)
        Colias eurytheme  Orange Sulphur
        Eurema lisa  Little Yellow
      lycaenidae  Hemiargus isola  Reakirt's Blue
      hesperiidae  Chioides albofasciatus  White-striped Longtail
        Lerodea eufala  Eufala Skipper
        Euphyes vestris  Dun Skipper
        Systasea pulverulenta  Texas Powdered-Skipper (larva)
      noctuidae  Caenurgina erechtea  Forage Looper Moth
        Abrostola microvalis  Moth
      saturniidae  Automeris io  Io Moth (larva)
      arctiidae  Estigmene acrea  Saltmarsh Moth (larva)
        Lycomorpha pholus  Black-and-yellow Lichen Moth
      crambidae  Herpetogramma phaeopteralis  Dusky Herpetogramma
      geometridae  Eupithecia sp.  Pug

    odonata  libellulidae  Pachydiplax longipennis  Blue Dasher
        Sympetrum corruptum  Variegated Meadowhawk
      coenagrionidae  Argia immunda  Kiowa Dancer

    coleoptera  coccinellidae  Coccinella septempunctata  Seven-spotted Ladybird
      chrysomelidae  Asphaera lustrans  Flea Beetle
      tenebrionidae  Eleodes goryi  Darkling Beetle
      scarabaeidae  Cotinis nitida  Green June Beetle

    hemiptera  coreidae  Acanthocephala terminalis  Coreid Bug (adult & nymph)
        Mozena lunata  Mesquite Bug
      alydidae  Hyalymenus tarsatus  Texas Bow-legged Bug (adult & nymph)
      reduviidae  Zelus luridus  Assassin Bug (nymph)
        Zelus longipes  Milkweed Assassin Bug
      pentatomidae  Brochymena sp.  Rough Stink Bug (nymph)
        Euschistus servus  Brown Stink Bug

    homoptera  acanaloniidae  Acanalonia parva  Planthopper
      cercopidae  Unknown sp.  Spittlebug (nymph)
      aphididae  Aphis nerii  Oleander Aphid

    hymenoptera  vespidae  Polistes exclamans  Paper Wasp
      mutillidae  Dasymutilla texanella  Velvet Ant
      evaniidae  Evania appendigaster  Ensign Wasp
      formicidae  Camponotus sp.  Carpenter Ant
      apidae  Bombus pensylvanicus  Bumble Bee
        Apis mellifera  Honey Bee

    diptera  dolichopodidae  Condylostylus sp.  Long-legged Fly
      chironomidae  Unknown sp.  Midge
      limoniidae  Limonia sp.  Crane Fly
      tachinidae  Archytas sp.  Tachinid Fly
        Trichopoda sp.  Feather-legged Fly
        Unknown sp.  Tachinid Fly

    orthoptera  acrididae  Schistocerca sp.  Bird Grasshopper (nymph)
        Schistocerca lineata  Spotted Bird Grasshopper
        Melanoplus differentialis  Differential Grasshopper
        Melanoplus sp.  Spur-throated Grasshopper
        Campylacantha olivacea  Fuzzy Olive-green Grasshopper
        Syrbula admirabilis  Handsome Grasshopper
        Trimerotropis pallidipennis  Pallid-winged Grasshopper
        Lactista aztecus  Aztec Bandwing
      tettigoniidae  Scudderia furcata  Fork-tailed Bush Katydid

    mantodea  mantidae  Stagmomantis carolina  Carolina Mantis

    araneae  araneidae  Argiope aurantia  Black and Yellow Garden Spider
      salticidae  Phidippus audax  Bold Jumper
        Phidippus arizonensis  Arizona Jumper
      lycosidae  Rabidosa rabida  Rabid Wolf Spider
      oxyopidae  Peucetia viridans  Green Lynx

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