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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey May 22, 2010


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

The weather has been the same as for several previous days: cloudy and humid, but not too hot. Our party of four found a few unusual things, including two different kinds of owlflies, unusual members of the order Neuroptera (note the split eye on the Ululodes species). A Snowberry Clearwing (a sphinx moth) was ovipositing on the Coral Honeysuckle, and we witnessed a small grasshopper molting.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Acontia cretata (bird-dropping moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Anasaitis canosa (jumping spider)
photo by Val Bugh


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


Crambodes talidiformis (verbena moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Pachydiplax longipennis (blue dasher)
photo by Val Bugh


Diplotaxis sp. (scarab)
photo by Val Bugh


Donacia sp. (aquatic leaf beetle)
photo by Val Bugh


Omphalocera cariosa (barberry webworm eggs, already hatched)
photo by Val Bugh


Ethmia zelleriella (Zeller's ethmia moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Eulithis diversilineata (lesser grapevine looper moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Rana berlandieri (Rio Grande leopard frog tadpole)
photo by Val Bugh


Larinia directa (orbweaver)
photo by Val Bugh


Lipocosma polingi (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Paraidemona sp. (grasshopper molting)
photo by Val Bugh


Satyrium favonius (oak hairstreak)
photo by Val Bugh


Ascaloptynx appendiculata (owlfly)
photo by Val Bugh


Ululodes macleayanus (owlfly)
photo by Val Bugh


Araneus pegnia (orbweaver)
photo by Val Bugh


Limax flavus (slug)
photo by Val Bugh


Hemaris diffinis (snowberry clearwing larva)
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus)
    Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
    Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria)
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
    Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
    White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)
    White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus)

  • Reptiles & Amphibians:
    Redstripe Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis proximus)
    Rio Grande Leopard Frog, tadpoles (Rana berlandieri)
    Gulf Coast Toad, tadpoles (Bufo valliceps)

  • Mollusks:
    Slug (Limax flavus)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Vanessa virginiensis  American Lady
        Agraulis vanillae  Gulf Fritillary (larva)
      pieridae  Nathalis iole  Dainty Sulphur
        Colias eurytheme  Orange Sulphur
        Phoebis sennae  Cloudless Sulphur
        Pontia protodice  Checkered White
      lycaenidae  Phaeostrymon alcestis  Oak Hairstreak
        Phaeostrymon alcestis  Soapberry Hairstreak
        Hemiargus isola  Reakirt's Blue (adult & larva)
      papilionidae  Papilio cresphontes  Giant Swallowtail (larva)
        Papilio polyxenes  Black Swallowtail (larva)
      hesperiidae  Systasea pulverulenta  Texas Powdered-skipper (larva)
      noctuidae  Acontia cretata  Bird-dropping Moth
        Tarache tetragona  Four-spotted Bird Dropping Moth
        Crambodes talidiformis  Verbena Moth
      arctiidae  Estigmene acrea  Saltmarsh Caterpillar
        Hypoprepia miniata  Scarlet-winged Lichen Moth
      geometridae  Eulithis diversilineata  Lesser Grapevine Looper Moth
        Rindgea cyda  Moth
      yponomeutidae  Atteva pustulella  Ailanthus Webworm Moth
      sphingidae  Hemaris diffinis  Snowberry Clearwing (adult & larva)
        Manduca sexta  Carolina Sphinx (larva)
      pyralidae  Omphalocera cariosa  Barberry Webworm (egg & larva)
      crambidae  Euchromius ocelleus  Grass-veneer Moth
        Pyrausta laticlavia  Southern Purple Mint Moth
        Lipocosma polingi  Moth
      elachistidae  Ethmia zelleriella  Zeller's Ethmia Moth
      tortricidae  Cudonigera houstonana  Leafroller Moth

    odonata  coenagrionidae  Argia immunda  Kiowa Dancer
        Ischnura ramburii  Rambur's Forktail
      libellulidae  Pachydiplax longipennis  Blue Dasher
      libellulidae  Libellula croceipennis  Neon Skimmer

    diptera  syrphidae  Copestylum marginatum  Flower Fly
        Allograpta obliqua  Flower Fly
      asilidae  Atomosia sp.  Robber Fly
      tachinidae  Unknown sp.  Tachinid Fly

    coleoptera  chrysomelidae  Donacia sp.  Aquatic Leaf Beetle
        Systena sp.  Leaf Beetle
      coccinellidae  Coccinella septempunctata  Seven-spotted Ladybird
      scarabaeidae  Diplotaxis sp.  Scarab
      cerambycidae  Strangalia virilis  Flower Longhorn
        Obrium maculatum  Long-horned Beetle
      carabidae  Pasimachus depressus  Ground Beetle
      buprestidae  Acmaeodera ornatoides  Metallic Woodborer
      attelabidae  Haplorhynchites sp.  Flower Weevil

    hemiptera  miridae  Lopidea sp.  Plant Bug

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Neokolla dolobrata  Leafhopper
      cercopidae  Clastoptera sp.  Spittlebug
      issidae  Dictyonissus griphus  Planthopper (nymph)
      flatidae  Ormenis sp.  Planthopper

    hymenoptera  apidae  Apis mellifera  Honey Bee
      megachilidae  Megachile sp.  Leaf-cutter Bee

    orthoptera  tettigoniidae  Dichopetala catinata  Spoon-tailed Short-winged Katydid (nymph & adult)
        Arethaea ambulator  Walking Thread-legged Katydid
      acrididae  Paraidemona sp.  Spur-throated Grasshopper

    neuroptera  ascalaphidae  Ululodes macleayanus  Owlfly
        Ascaloptynx appendiculata  Owlfly

    araneae  araneidae  Argiope aurantia  Black and Yellow Garden Spider
        Araneus pegnia  Orbweaver
        Neoscona arabesca  Arabesque Orbweaver
        Larinia directa  Orbweaver
      salticidae  Anasaitis canosa  Jumping Spider
      tetragnathidae  Tetragnatha laboriosa  Silver Longjawed Orbweaver

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