previousindexnext    
  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey December 2, 2010


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

A cold, sunny morning with only light wind was delightful for our 5 participants. The recent low temperatures have diminished insect numbers, but there are plenty of birds. Moths were conspicuously absent. Spider mites on a kidneywood plant were first noticed because of their webbing and the damage they do to leaves. It took a bit of searching to find the miniscule creatures huddled together on some twigs. The relatively few flowers blooming were a draw to small bees and other insects.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Lasioglossum sp. (sweat bee)
photo by Val Bugh


Hemiargus isola (Reakirt's blue, male)
photo by Val Bugh


Hemiargus isola (Reakirt's blue larva with ant)
photo by Val Bugh


Diabrotica balteata (banded cucumber beetle)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (green sweat bee and spotted cucumber beetle)
photo by Val Bugh


Eritettix abortivus (Texas short-winged slant-faced grasshopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Dicromantispa sayi (mantisfly)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (spider mites)
photo by Val Bugh


Phidippus carolinensis (Carolina jumper)
photo by Val Bugh


Pseudosermyle strigata (walkingstick, female)
photo by Val Bugh


Phoebis sennae (cloudless sulphur)
photo by Val Bugh


Toxomerus marginatus (flower fly)
photo by Val Bugh


Tritoxa sp. (picture-winged fly)
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)
    Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii)
    Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)
    Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)
    Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)
    Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
    Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)
    Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
    Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla)
    Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa)
    Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum)
    Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus)
    House Wren (Troglodytes aedon)
    Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Picoides scalaris)
    Le Conte's Sparrow (Ammodramus leconteii)
    Lincoln's Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii)
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
    Orange-crowned Warbler (Vermivora celata)
    Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula)
    Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis)
    Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus)
    Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus)
    Titmouse (Baeolophus sp.)
    Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
    Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus)
    Western Scrub-jay (Aphelocoma californica)
    White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)
    Yellow-rumped Warbler (Dendroica coronata)

  • Mammals:
    White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

  • Reptiles:
    Eastern Blackneck Garter Snake (Thamnophis cyrtopsis ocellatus)

  • Misc.:
    Spider Mites (family Tetranychidae)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Danaus gilippus  Queen
        Agraulis vanillae  Gulf Fritillary
        Vanessa atalanta  Red Admiral
        Junonia coenia  Common Buckeye
        Euptoieta claudia  Variegated Fritillary
      pieridae  Eurema nicippe  Sleepy Orange
        Eurema lisa  Little Yellow
        Nathalis iole  Dainty Sulphur
        Colias cesonia  Southern Dogface
        Phoebis sennae  Cloudless Sulphur
      lycaenidae  Hemiargus isola  Reakirt's Blue (adult & larva)
        Strymon melinus  Gray Hairstreak
      hesperiidae  Lerema accius  Clouded Skipper
        Lerodea eufala  Eufala Skipper
        Pyrgus philetas  Desert Checkered-skipper
      geometridae  Costaconvexa centrostrigaria  Bent-line Carpet
        Unknown sp.  Inchworm

    odonata  libellulidae  Sympetrum corruptum  Variegated Meadowhawk
        Sympetrum vicinum  Autumn Meadowhawk

    coleoptera  chrysomelidae  Asphaera lustrans  Flea Beetle
        Diabrotica undecimpunctata  Spotted Cucumber Beetle
        Diabrotica balteata  Banded Cucumber Beetle
        Phaedon viridis  Leaf Beetle
      buprestidae  Acmaeodera flavomarginata  Metallic Woodborer

    hemiptera  coreidae  Chariesterus antennator  Euphorbia Bug
      miridae  Halticotoma valida  Yucca Plant Bug
        Polymerus sp.  Plant Bug
      pentatomidae  Euschistus servus  Brown Stink Bug

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Graphocephala versuta  Leafhopper
        Cuerna costalis  Leafhopper (nymph)

    hymenoptera  vespidae  Vespula squamosa  Southern Yellowjacket
        Polistes exclamans  Paper Wasp
        Polistes metricus  Paper Wasp
        Polistes fuscatus  Paper Wasp
        Polistes carolina  Red Wasp
      formicidae  Unknown sp.  Ant
      apidae  Apis mellifera  Honey Bee
      halictidae  Unknown sp.  Green Sweat Bee
        Unknown sp.  Sweat Bee
        Lasioglossum sp.  Sweat Bee

    diptera  syrphidae  Toxomerus marginatus  Flower Fly
      calliphoridae  Cynomya cadaverina  Bluebottle Fly
      ulidiidae  Tritoxa sp.  Picture-winged Fly

    orthoptera  acrididae  Schistocerca americana  American Bird Grasshopper
        Melanoplus sp.  Spur-throated Grasshopper (nymph)
        Melanoplus ponderosus  Ponderous Grasshopper
        Melanoplus differentialis  Differential Grasshopper
        Melanoplus flabellatus  Spur-throated Grasshopper
        Eritettix abortivus  Texas Short-winged Slant-faced Grasshopper
        Lactista aztecus  Aztec Bandwing (adult & nymph)
        Chortophaga viridifasciata  Northern Green-striped Grasshopper (adult & nymph)
        Arphia simplex  Plains Yellow-winged Grasshopper
        Trimerotropis pallidipennis  Pallid-winged Grasshopper
        Encoptolophus costalis  Dusky Grasshopper
      gryllidae  Oecanthus sp.  Tree Cricket

    neuroptera  chrysopidae  Unknown sp.  Green Lacewing
      mantispidae  Dicromantispa sayi  Mantisfly

    phasmatodea  heteronemiidae  Pseudosermyle strigata  Walkingstick

    mantodea  mantidae  Stagmomantis carolina  Carolina Mantis

    araneae  araneidae  Argiope aurantia  Black and Yellow Garden Spider
      salticidae  Phidippus audax  Bold Jumper
        Phidippus carolinensis  Carolina Jumper
      lycosidae  Unknown sp.  Wolf Spider
      oxyopidae  Peucetia viridans  Green Lynx
        Oxyopes salticus  Striped Lynx

previousindexnext    
  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey December 2, 2010