previousindexnext    
  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey June 17, 2010


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

Four people participated in this survey. The weather was warm and mostly cloudy. An Ox Beetle was our most spectacular sighting. These insects are quite common in the area; their grubs feed on dead wood and live in compost piles for 2 or more years. We also enjoyed encountering a not-too-shy Cottontail in the Gardens. The Spicebush near the Hill Country Stream is hosting Spicebush Swallowtail larvae for the first time in several years.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Phidippus audax (bold jumper with eufala skipper larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Hypselonotus punctiventris (coreid bug)
photo by Val Bugh


Chariesterus antennator (euphorbia bug)
photo by Val Bugh


Ischnura posita (fragile forktail, female)
photo by Val Bugh


Polyhymno luteostrigella (moth, about 4 mm long)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (ichneumon, subfamily campopleginae)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (spur-throated grasshopper nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Pisaurina mira (nursery web spider with egg sac)
photo by Val Bugh


Strategus aloeus (ox beetle, male)
photo by Val Bugh


Podisus maculiventris (predatory stink bug nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Eupithecia miserulata (common pug, larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Sylvilagus floridanus (eastern cottontail)
photo by Val Bugh


Sergiolus sp. (ground spider)
photo by Val Bugh


Papilio troilus (spicebush swallowtail, larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (tachinid fly)
photo by Val Bugh


Phyciodes texana (Texan crescent)
photo by Val Bugh


Omphalocera cariosa (barberry webworm)
photo by Val Bugh


Cylindrocopturus sp. (weevil)
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)

  • Mammals:
    Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Danaus gilippus  Queen
        Asterocampa celtis  Hackberry Emperor
        Agraulis vanillae  Gulf Fritillary (adult & larva)
        Phyciodes texana  Texan Crescent
        Chlosyne lacinia  Bordered Patch (adult & larva)
        Polygonia interrogationis  Question Mark
      pieridae  Nathalis iole  Dainty Sulphur
        Phoebis sennae  Cloudless Sulphur
        Pontia protodice  Checkered White
      lycaenidae  Strymon melinus  Gray Hairstreak
      papilionidae  Papilio polyxenes  Black Swallowtail (adult & larva)
        Papilio troilus  Spicebush Swallowtail (larva)
      hesperiidae  Pyrgus communis/albescens  Common/White Checkered-skipper
        Lerodea eufala  Eufala Skipper (larva)
        Systasea pulverulenta  Texas Powdered-skipper (larva)
      noctuidae  Tetanolita mynesalis  Smoky Tetanolita
        Plusiodonta compressipalpis  Moonseed Moth
      gelechiidae  Polyhymno luteostrigella  Moth
      geometridae  Eupithecia miserulata  Common Pug (larva)
        Iridopsis defectaria  Brown-shaded Gray Moth
      acrolophidae  Acrolophus texanella  Tubeworm Moth
      pyralidae  Omphalocera cariosa  Barberry Webworm
      crambidae  Fissicrambus sp.  Grass-veneer Moth

    odonata  coenagrionidae  Ischnura posita  Fragile Forktail
        Argia plana  Springwater Dancer
      libellulidae  Libellula croceipennis  Neon Skimmer

    diptera  tachinidae  Unknown sp.  Tachinid Fly
      dolichopodidae  Unknown sp.  Long-legged Fly

    coleoptera  chrysomelidae  Asphaera lustrans  Flea Beetle
        Diabrotica undecimpunctata  Spotted Cucumber Beetle
      coccinellidae  Coleomegilla maculata  Spotted Ladybird
      scarabaeidae  Strategus aloeus  Ox Beetle
      curculionidae  Cylindrocopturus sp.  Weevil

    hemiptera  reduviidae  Zelus tetracanthus  Four-spined Assassin Bug
        Zelus luridus  Assassin Bug
        Zelus renardii  Assassin Bug (adult & nymph)
      berytidae  Jalysus sp.  Stilt Bug (adult & nymph)
      coreidae  Acanthocephala terminalis  Coreid Bug (nymph)
        Anasa tristis  Squash Bug
        Hypselonotus punctiventris  Coreid Bug
        Chariesterus antennator  Euphorbia Bug
      alydidae  Hyalymenus tarsatus  Texas Bow-legged Bug (nymph)
      pentatomidae  Podisus maculiventris  Predatory Stink Bug (nymph)
        Euschistus servus  Brown Stink Bug
        Banasa euchlora  Stink Bug

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Trypanalebra maculata  Leafhopper
        Texananus excultus  Leafhopper
      flatidae  Metcalfa pruinosa  Citrus Planthopper
      issidae  Thionia elliptica  Planthopper

    hymenoptera  crabronidae  Bicyrtes quadrifasciata  Sand Wasp
      ichneumonidae  Unknown sp.  Ichneumon
      formicidae  Pseudomyrmex pallidus  Golden Twig Ant
      halictidae  Unknown sp.  Green Sweat Bee
      apidae  Ceratina sp.  Small Carpenter Bee

    orthoptera  acrididae  Lactista aztecus  Aztec Bandwing (nymph)
        Chortophaga viridifasciata  Northern Green-striped Grasshopper (adult & nymph)
        Unknown sp.  Spurthroat Grasshopper (nymph)
        Melanoplus differentialis  Differential Grasshopper (nymph)

    neuroptera  ascalaphidae  Ululodes macleayanus  Owlfly

    araneae  araneidae  Neoscona oaxacensis  Orbweaver
        Neoscona arabesca  Arabesque Orbweaver
        Argiope aurantia  Black and Yellow Garden Spider
        Mangora placida  Orbweaver
      salticidae  Phidippus audax  Bold Jumper
      uloboridae  Uloborus glomosus  Feather-legged Orbweaver
      gnaphosidae  Sergiolus sp.  Ground Spider
      pisauridae  Pisaurina mira  Nursery Web Spider
      clubionidae  Clubiona sp.  Sac Spider

previousindexnext    
  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey June 17, 2010