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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey May 20, 2010


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

Heavily overcast conditions this time kept the temperature from soaring, but high humidity still made it a bit sticky. Three people participated, including two accomplished birders. Most of the birds listed were identified by their calls, but we did enjoy watching a hummingbird zip around the garden area. The insects and spiders are busy eating and reproducing. Plant growth is in high gear after plenty of recent rain.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Chrysomela sp. (leaf beetle larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Melanolestes picipes (black corsair)
photo by Val Bugh


Phaeostrymon alcestis (soapberry hairstreak)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (harvestman)
photo by Val Bugh


Hyles lineata (white-lined sphinx larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Dictyonissus griphus (planthopper nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Disonycha discoidea (leaf beetle)
photo by Val Bugh


Hypoprepia miniata (scarlet-winged lichen moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (potter wasp nest)
photo by Val Bugh


Pontia protodice (checkered white chrysalis)
photo by Val Bugh


Pyrausta laticlavia (southern purple mint moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Scudderia furcata (fork-tailed bush katydid nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Manduca sexta (Carolina sphinx egg)
photo by Val Bugh


Philodromus sp. (running crab spider with eggs)
photo by Val Bugh


Eurema nicippe (sleepy orange larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Leucostoma sp. (tachinid fly)
photo by Val Bugh


Thyanta custator (stink bug nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Typocerus sinuatus (flower longhorn)
photo by Val Bugh


Saygorytes phaleratus (planthopper wasp with treehopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Pontia protodice (checkered whites mating)
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii)
    Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)
    Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri)
    Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus)
    Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)
    Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota)
    Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
    House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus)
    Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria)
    Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
    Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris)
    White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus)

  • Reptiles:
    Redstripe Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis proximus)
    Mediterranean Gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus)
    Texas Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus olivaceus)

  • Mollusks:
    Land Snail (Bradybaena similaris)
    Land Snail (Catinella avara)

  • Misc.:
    Pillbug (Armadillidium vulgare)
    Harvestman (order Opiliones)
    Chigger (family Trombiculidae, larva)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Danaus gilippus  Queen
        Vanessa atalanta  Red Admiral
        Vanessa virginiensis  American Lady
        Junonia coenia  Common Buckeye
      pieridae  Nathalis iole  Dainty Sulphur
        Eurema nicippe  Sleepy Orange (larva, pupa & adult)
        Pontia protodice  Checkered White (pupa & adult)
      lycaenidae  Callophrys gryneus  Juniper Hairstreak
        Phaeostrymon alcestis  Soapberry Hairstreak
        Hemiargus isola  Reakirt's Blue
      papilionidae  Papilio cresphontes  Giant Swallowtail (larva)
        Papilio polyxenes  Black Swallowtail (larva)
      hesperiidae  Erynnis horatius  Horace's Duskywing
        Erynnis funeralis  Funereal Duskywing
        Pyrgus communis/albescens  Checkered-skipper
        Euphyes vestris  Dun Skipper
      noctuidae  Alypia octomaculata  Eight-spotted Forester (larva)
        Unknown sp.  Moth (larva)
        Heliothis virescens  Tobacco Budworm
      notodontidae  Lochmaeus bilineata  Double-lined Prominent (larva)
      arctiidae  Estigmene acrea  Saltmarsh Caterpillar
        Hypoprepia miniata  Scarlet-winged Lichen Moth
      geometridae  Eupithecia miserulata  Common Pug (larva)
        Unknown sp.  Inchworm
        Anavitrinella atristrigaria  Gulf Coast Gray
        Glenoides texanaria  Texas Gray Moth
        Macaria aequiferaria  Woody Angle
      plutellidae  Plutella xylostella  Diamondback Moth
      sphingidae  Hemaris diffinis  Snowberry Clearwing
        Hyles lineata  White-lined Sphinx (larva)
        Manduca sexta  Carolina Sphinx (egg & larva)
      pyralidae  Omphalocera cariosa  Barberry Webworm (egg & larva)
      crambidae  Microcrambus croesus  Grass-veneer Moth
        Pyrausta laticlavia  Southern Purple Mint Moth
      oecophoridae  Inga sparsiciliella  Black-marked Inga
        Inga cretacea  Chalky Inga
      tortricidae  Platynota rostrana  Omnivorous Platynota Moth

    odonata  coenagrionidae  Enallagma civile  Familiar Bluet
        Argia plana  Springwater Dancer
        Argia immunda  Kiowa Dancer
        Ischnura ramburii  Rambur's Forktail
      libellulidae  Pachydiplax longipennis  Blue Dasher

    diptera  syrphidae  Copestylum marginatum  Flower Fly
        Allograpta obliqua  Flower Fly
      culicidae  Aedes aegypti  Yellow-fever Mosquito
      dolichopodidae  Condylostylus sp.  Long-legged Fly
      asilidae  Atomosia sp.  Robber Fly

    coleoptera  chrysomelidae  Diabrotica undecimpunctata  Spotted Cucumber Beetle
        Asphaera lustrans  Flea Beetle
        Chrysomela sp.  Leaf Beetle (larva)
        Disonycha discoidea  Flea Beetle
        Kuschelina gibbitarsa  Flea Beetle
        Donacia sp.  Aquatic Leaf Beetle
        Unknown sp.  Leaf Beetle (larva)
        Neolema quadriguttata  Leaf Beetle
      coccinellidae  Olla v-nigrum  Ashy Gray Ladybird
        Coccinella septempunctata  Seven-spotted Ladybird
        Hippodamia convergens  Convergent Ladybird
      scarabaeidae  Cyclocephala sp.  Scarab
      cerambycidae  Typocerus sinuatus  Flower Longhorn
      carabidae  Pasimachus depressus  Ground Beetle
      lampyridae  Photinus sp.  Firefly
      anthribidae  Trigonorhinus limbatus  Fungus Weevil
      tenebrionidae  Eleodes goryi  Darkling Beetle

    hemiptera  miridae  Hesperolabops gelastops  Cactus Bug
        Lopidea sp.  Plant Bug
        Phytocoris sp.  Plant Bug
        Polymerus basalis  Plant Bug
        Taedia sp.  Plant Bug
      pentatomidae  Proxys punctulatus  Black Stink Bug
        Thyanta custator  Stink Bug (nymph & adult)
        Chlorochroa ligata  Conchuela (nymph)
      coreidae  Acanthocephala terminalis  Coreid Bug (nymph & adult)
        Narnia femorata  Cactus Bug (nymph)
      reduviidae  Zelus renardii  Assassin Bug (nymph & adult)
        Sinea sp.  Spined Assassin Bug (nymph)
        Melanolestes picipes  Black Corsair
      rhopalidae  Harmostes sp.  Scentless Plant Bug
      lygaeidae  Oncopeltus fasciatus  Large Milkweed Bug
        Nysius sp.  Seed Bug
      tingidae  Corythucha sp.  Lace Bug

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Cuerna costalis  Leafhopper (nymph & adult)
        Neokolla dolobrata  Leafhopper
        Tinobregmus vittatus  Leafhopper (nymph)
      cercopidae  Lepyronia quadrangularis  Spittlebug
        Prosapia bicincta  Two-lined Spittlebug
        Clastoptera sp.  Spittlebug
      issidae  Thionia acuta  Planthopper
        Dictyonissus griphus  Planthopper (nymph)
      acanaloniidae  Acanalonia parva  Planthopper (nymph & adult)
      flatidae  Ormenis sp.  Planthopper
        Metcalfa pruinosa  Citrus Planthopper

    hymenoptera  halictidae  Unknown sp.  Sweat Bee
      megachilidae  Megachile sp.  Leaf-cutter Bee
      formicidae  Solenopsis invicta  Imported Fire Ant
        Camponotus sp.  Carpenter Ant
      crabronidae  Saygorytes phaleratus  Planthopper Wasp
      sphecidae  Ammophila sp.  Thread-waisted Wasp
        Chalybion sp.  Blue Mud Dauber
        Chlorion sp.  Cricket Hunter
      vespidae  Eumenes sp.  Potter Wasp (nest)
        Polistes fuscatus  Paper Wasp
        Polistes exclamans  Paper Wasp
        Polistes carolina  Red Wasp
      argidae  Unknown sp.  Sawfly

    orthoptera  tettigoniidae  Dichopetala catinata  Spoon-tailed Short-winged Katydid (nymph & adult)
        Scudderia furcata  Fork-tailed Bush Katydid (nymph)
        Unknown sp.  Meadow Katydid (nymph)
      acrididae  Melaoplus differentialis  Differential Grasshopper (nymph)
        Paraidemona sp.  Spur-throated Grasshopper
        Lactista aztecus  Aztec Bandwing
        Trimerotropis pallidipennis  Pallid-winged Grasshopper
      gryllidae  Oecanthus sp.  Tree Cricket

    araneae  araneidae  Argiope aurantia  Black and Yellow Garden Spider
        Cyclosa turbinata  Trashline Orbweaver
        Neoscona arabesca  Arabesque Orbweaver
      oxyopidae  Hamataliwa grisea  Gray Lynx
        Peucetia viridans  Green Lynx
      philodromidae  Philodromus sp.  Running Crab Spider
      pisauridae  Dolomedes triton  Fishing Spider
      salticidae  Habronattus cognatus  Jumping Spider
        Thiodina puerpera  Jumping Spider
      tetragnathidae  Tetragnatha laboriosa  Silver Longjawed Orbweaver
      thomisidae  Misumenops sp.  Crab Spider

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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey May 20, 2010