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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey June 24, 2010


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

The heat shortened this survey a bit, but our group of three made a few very interesting observations. Female wasps digging nests in the gravel and dirt are becoming more numerous. We saw about a dozen tiny dark wasps flitting about the potted passionflower vines near the Insectary. They would land on the soil, chase each other, and never really held still, but we could not figure out just what was causing their behaviors. The Spicebush Swallowtail larvae are growing nicely; they have the cutest eye spots! The most spectacular sighting was a male Giant Walkingstick. These insects feed on oak and rely on their camouflage for defense.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Argia plana (springwater dancer, female)
photo by Val Bugh


Bicyrtes sp. (sand wasp)
photo by Val Bugh


Euschistus servus (brown stink bug)
photo by Val Bugh


Hyperaspis signata (ladybird beetle, 2.5 mm long)
photo by Val Bugh


Sceloporus olivaceus (Texas spiny lizard)
photo by Val Bugh


Oxyopes acleistus (lynx spider)
photo by Val Bugh


Manduca sexta (Carolina sphinx larva, very young)
photo by Val Bugh


Melanoplus differentialis (differential grasshopper nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Libellula croceipennis (neon skimmer, male)
photo by Val Bugh


Paraidemona sp. (grasshopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Cycloptilum sp. (scaly cricket, nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Systasea pulverulenta (Texas powdered-skipper larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Polygyra cereolus (land snails)
photo by Val Bugh


Papilio troilus (spicebush swallowtail larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Megaphasma denticrus (giant walkingstick, male)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (stink bug nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Tachysphex sp. (wasp)
photo by Val Bugh


Cyclophora nanaria (dwarf tawny wave)
photo by Val Bugh


Zelus luridus (assassin bug)
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus)
    Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
    Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)

  • Mammals:
    Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)

  • Reptiles & Amphibians:
    Texas Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus olivaceus)
    Rio Grande Leopard Frog (Rana berlandieri)

  • Mollusks:
    Land Snail (Polygyra cereolus)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Danaus gilippus  Queen
        Asterocampa celtis  Hackberry Emperor
        Agraulis vanillae  Gulf Fritillary
        Phyciodes texana  Texan Crescent
        Junonia coenia  Common Buckeye
      pieridae  Eurema lisa  Little Yellow
      papilionidae  Papilio polyxenes  Black Swallowtail
        Papilio troilus  Spicebush Swallowtail (larva)
        Papilio cresphontes  Giant Swallowtail (adult & larva)
      hesperiidae  Euphyes vestris  Dun Skipper
        Thorybes pylades  Northern Cloudywing
        Systasea pulverulenta  Texas Powdered-skipper (larva)
      noctuidae  Ogdoconta cinereola  Common Pinkband
        Tripudia quadrifera  Moth
        Ponometia candefacta  Olive-shaded Bird Dropping Moth
        Ponometia phecolisca  Bird Dropping Moth
      notodontidae  Hippia packardii  Prominent
        Schizura errucata  Prominent
        Lochmaeus bilineata  Double-lined Prominent
      sphingidae  Manduca sexta  Carolina Sphinx (larva)
      saturniidae  Automeris io  Io Moth (larva)
      geometridae  Glenoides texanaria  Texas Gray Moth
        Cyclophora nanaria  Dwarf Tawny Wave
      tortricidaew  Platynota flavedana  Black-shaded Platynota Moth
      lacturidae  Lactura sp.  Moth

    odonata  coenagrionidae  Argia immunda  Kiowa Dancer
        Argia plana  Springwater Dancer
      libellulidae  Libellula croceipennis  Neon Skimmer
        Erythemis simplicicollis  Eastern Pondhawk
        Pachydiplax longipennis  Blue Dasher
        Libellula luctuosa  Widow Skimmer

    diptera  unknown family  Unknown sp.  Fly (larva)

    coleoptera  chrysomelidae  Asphaera lustrans  Flea Beetle
      coccinellidae  Hyperaspis signata  Ladybird Beetle
      cerambycidae  Stenelytrana gigas  Long-horned Beetle
      meloidae  Nemognatha sp.  Blister Beetle

    hemiptera  reduviidae  Zelus luridus  Assassin Bug
        Zelus sp.  Assassin Bug eggs
      coreidae  Acanthocephala terminalis  Coreid Bug (adult & nymph)
      scutelleridae  Unknown sp.  Shield Bug (nymph)
      pentatomidae  Brochymena sp.  Rough Stink Bug (adult & nymph)
        Euschistus servus  Brown Stink Bug
        Euschistus sp.  Stink Bug (nymph)
        Unknown sp.  Stink Bug (nymph)
        Chlorochroa ligata  Conchuela (adult & nymph)

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Prairiana orizaba  Leafhopper
      flatidae  Metcalfa pruinosa  Citrus Planthopper
      acanaloniidae  Acanalonia parva  Planthopper
      cercopidae  Lepyronia quadrangularis  Spittlebug
      cicadidae  Tibicen texanus  Cicada

    hymenoptera  crabronidae  Bicyrtes sp.  Sand Wasp
        Tachysphex sp.  Wasp
      sphecidae  Sceliphron caementarium  Yellow-and-black Mud Dauber
      vespidae  Polistes carolina  Red Wasp
        Polistes exclamans  Paper Wasp
      chrysididae  Unknown sp.  Cuckoo Wasp
      apidae  Xylocopa tabaniformis  Large Carpenter Bee
        Apis mellifera  Honey Bee
      megachilidae  Megachile sp.  Leaf-cutter Bee

    orthoptera  acrididae  Schistocerca sp.  Bird Grasshopper (nymph)
        Chortophaga viridifasciata  Northern Green-striped Grasshopper
        Unknown sp.  Spurthroat Grasshopper (nymph)
        Melanoplus differentialis  Differential Grasshopper (adult & nymph)
        Paraidemona sp.  Spur-throated Grasshopper
        Mermiria sp.  Slant-faced Grasshopper (nymph)
      tettigoniidae  Conocephalus strictus  Straight-lanced Meadow Katydid
        Scudderia furcata  Fork-tailed Bush Katydid (nymph)
        Paracyrtophyllus robustus  Truncated True Katydid
      mogoplistidae  Cycloptilum sp.  Scaly Cricket (nymph)

    phasmatodea  heteronemiidae  Megaphasma denticrus  Giant Walkingstick

    araneae  araneidae  Argiope aurantia  Black and Yellow Garden Spider
      salticidae  Phidippus audax  Bold Jumper
        Hentzia palmarum  Long-jawed Jumper
      oxyopidae  Oxyopes acleistus  Lynx Spider
      clubionidae  Clubiona sp.  Sac Spider

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