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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey November 11, 2010


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

Nine people participated this time. The morning was foggy and warm, with calm winds, later turning partly sunny. Highlights included the snakes, imperial moth caterpillar, and scorpionflies. The latter are unusual insects that superficially resemble moths. They have long snouts that are used to scavenge prey caught in spider webs. The male has an extension on its tail that is reminiscent of a scorpion's stinger; however, it cannot sting - these insects are harmless.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Cyclocephala sp. (masked chafer)
photo by Val Bugh


Scaptolenus sp. (rain click beetle)
photo by Val Bugh


Chelymorpha cassidea (argus tortoise beetle)
photo by Val Bugh


Chrysolina auripennis (leaf beetle)
photo by Val Bugh


Armadillidium vulgare (pillbug, underside)
photo by Val Bugh


Leptoglossus clypealis (leaf-footed bug)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (green sweat bee)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (cuckoo wasp)
photo by Val Bugh


Hoplitimyia mutabilis (soldier fly)
photo by Val Bugh


Megalopyge opercularis (puss caterpillar)
photo by Val Bugh


Eacles imperialis (imperial moth, larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Oligonicella scudderi (Scudder's mantis, female)
photo by Val Bugh


Pero meskaria (moth, family Geometridae)
photo by Val Bugh


Pselnophorus belfragei (plume moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Hippiscus ocelote(wrinkled grasshopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Storeria dekayi texana (Texas brown snake)
photo by Val Bugh


Pituophis melanoleucus sayi (bullsnake)
photo by David Ross


Panorpa nuptialis (scorpionfly, female)
photo by Val Bugh


Eantis tamenund (sickle-winged skipper)
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
    Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii)
    Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)
    Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)
    Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
    Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
    Great-tailed Grackle (Qiuscalus mexicanus)
    Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria)
    Lincoln's Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii)
    Meadowlark (Sturnella sp.)
    Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
    Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata)
    Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula)
    Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
    Western Scrub-jay (Aphelocoma californica)
    White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)

  • Reptiles & Amphibians:
    Texas Brown Snake (Storeria dekayi texana)
    Bullsnake (Pituophis melanoleucus sayi)
    Texas Rat Snake (Elaphe obsoleta lindheimeri)
    Rio Grande Leopard Frog (Rana berlandieri)

  • Misc.:
    Millipede (Unknown sp.)
    Pillbug (Armadillidium vulgare)
    Land Snail (Bradybaena similaris)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Danaus gilippus  Queen
        Danaus plexippus  Monarch
        Agraulis vanillae  Gulf Fritillary
        Junonia coenia  Common Buckeye
        Mestra amymone  Common Mestra
        Vanessa atalanta  Red Admiral
        Chlosyne lacinia  Bordered Patch
        Phyciodes texana  Texan Crescent
        Phyciodes tharos  Pearl Crescent
      pieridae  Eurema nicippe  Sleepy Orange
        Nathalis iole  Dainty Sulphur
        Phoebis sennae  Cloudless Sulphur
      lycaenidae  Hemiargus isola  Reakirt's Blue
        Strymon melinus  Gray Hairstreak
        Calycopis isobeon  Dusky-blue Groundstreak
        Atlides halesus  Great Purple Hairstreak
      hesperiidae  Pyrgus philetas  Desert Checkered-skipper
        Pyrgus communis/albescens  Common/White Checkered-skipper
        Lerodea eufala  Eufala Skipper
        Hylephila phyleus  Fiery Skipper
        Lerema accius  Clouded Skipper
        Eantis tamenund  Sickle-winged Skipper
      noctuidae  Agrotis venerabilis  Venerable Dart
        Feltia subterranea  Subterranean Dart
        Hemieuxoa rudens  Moth
        Caenurgina erechtea  Forage Looper Moth
        Phosphila miselioides  Spotted Phosphila (larva)
      arctiidae  Estigmene acrea  Saltmarsh Caterpillar
        Cisseps fulvicollis  Yellow-collared Scape Moth
      saturniidae  Eacles imperialis  Imperial Moth (larva)
        Automeris io  Io Moth (larva)
      megalopygidae  Megalopyge opercularis  Puss Caterpillar
      geometridae  Lychnosea intermicata  Moth
        Iridopsis defectaria  Brown-shaded Gray Moth
        Scopula umbilicata  Moth
        Pero meskaria  Moth
        Synchlora frondaria  Southern Emerald
      pyralidae  Melitara junctolineella  Cactus Borer Moth
      elachistidae  Antaeotricha lindseyi  Bird-dropping Moth
      pterophoridae  Pselnophorus belfragei  Plume Moth
        Hellinsia sp.  Plume Moth

    odonata  coenagrionidae  Argia immunda  Kiowa Dancer
        Enallagma civile  Familiar Bluet
      libellulidae  Sympetrum corruptum  Variegated Meadowhawk

    coleoptera  coccinellidae  Coccinella septempunctata  Seven-spotted Ladybird
        Harmonia axyridis  Multi-colored Asian Ladybird
        Cycloneda sanguinea  Red Ladybird
      chrysomelidae  Blepharida rhois  Sumac Leaf Beetle
        Diabrotica undecimpunctata  Spotted Cucumber Beetle
        Chelymorpha cassidea  Argus Tortoise Beetle
        Chrysolina auripennis  Leaf Beetle
      cerambycidae  Ataxia crypta  Long-horned Beetle
      tenebrionidae  Eleodes goryi  Darkling Beetle
      scarabaeidae  Cyclocephala sp.  Masked Chafer
      carabidae  Unknown sp.  Ground Beetle
      elateridae  Scaptolenus sp.  Rain Click Beetle

    hemiptera  coreidae  Acanthocephala terminalis  Coreid Bug
        Hypselonotus punctiventris  Coreid Bug
        Leptoglossus phyllopus  Leaf-footed Bug
        Leptoglossus clypealis  Leaf-footed Bug
        Leptoglossus sp.  Leaf-footed Bug (nymph)
      rhopalidae  Niesthrea louisianica  Scentless Plant Bug (adult & nymph)
      pentatomidae  Euschistus servus  Brown Stink Bug
        Proxys punctulatus  Black Stink Bug
        Brochymena sp.  Rough Stink Bug

    homoptera  acanaloniidae  Acanalonia parva  Planthopper
      dactylopiidae  Dactylopius sp.  Cochineal Insect
      cercopidae  Lepyronia quadrangularis  Spittlebug

    hymenoptera  vespidae  Polistes exclamans  Paper Wasp
        Polistes carolina  Red Wasp
        Polistes aurifer  Paper Wasp
        Vespula squamosa  Southern Yellowjacket
        Eumenes fraternus  Potter Wasp
        Eumenes smithii  Potter Wasp
      sphecidae  Prionyx sp.  Thread-waisted Wasp
      chrysididae  Unknown sp.  Cuckoo Wasp
      pompilidae  Unknown sp.  Spider Wasp
        Poecilopompilus interruptus  Spider Wasp
      apidae  Apis mellifera  Honey Bee
      megachilidae  Unknown sp.  Leaf-cutter Bee
      halictidae  Unknown sp.  Green Sweat Bee

    diptera  tachinidae  Unknown sp.  Tachinid Fly
        Cylindromyia sp.  Tachinid Fly
        Archytas sp.  Tachinid Fly
      dolichopodidae  Condylostylus sp.  Long-legged Fly
      sarcophagidae  Unknown sp.  Flesh Fly
      calliphoridae  Lucilia sp.  Blow Fly
      syrphidae  Copestylum marginatum  Flower Fly
        Copestylum mexicana  Black Flower Fly
        Toxomerus marginatus  Flower Fly
        Ocyptamus fascipennis  Flower Fly
      stratiomyidae  Hoplitimyia mutabilis  Soldier Fly

    orthoptera  acrididae  Schistocerca damnifica  Mischievous Bird Grasshopper
        Melanoplus sp.  Spur-throated Grasshopper
        Melanoplus flabellatus  Spur-throated Grasshopper
        Melanoplus differentialis  Differential Grasshopper
        Campylacantha olivacea  Fuzzy Olive-green Grasshopper
        Syrbula admirabilis  Handsome Grasshopper
        Lactista aztecus  Aztec Bandwing
        Trimerotropis pallidipennis  Pallid-winged Grasshopper
        Hippiscus ocelote  Wrinkled Grasshopper
      tettigoniidae  Scudderia furcata  Fork-tailed Bush Katydid
        Conocephalus strictus  Straight-lanced Meadow Katydid
      gryllidae  Oecanthus sp.  Tree Cricket
        Gryllus sp.  Field Cricket (nymph)

    mantodea  thespidae  Oligonicella scudderi  Scudder's Mantis

    phasmatodea  heteronemiidae  Pseudosermyle strigata  Walkingstick

    neuroptera  chrysopidae  Unknown sp.  Green Lacewing

    mecoptera  panorpidae  Panorpa nuptialis  Scorpionfly

    araneae  araneidae  Argiope aurantia  Black and Yellow Garden Spider
        Eustala sp.  Orbweaver
      salticidae  Phidippus audax  Bold Jumper
        Phidippus arizonensis  Arizona Jumper
        Platycryptus undatus  Jumping Spider
      lycosidae  Rabidosa rabida  Rabid Wolf Spider
        Unknown sp.  Wolf Spider
      thomisidae  Xysticus sp.  Crab Spider
      oxyopidae  Peucetia viridans  Green Lynx

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