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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey December 1, 2011


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

Seven participants enjoyed a cool, partly sunny morning during this survey. Some caterpillars have no prolegs (fleshy appendages that function as extra legs) in the middle of their body; they move by "looping" and are called loopers or inchworms. While all caterpillars in the family Geometridae do this, so do some in the family Noctuidae. The difference is in the number of prolegs at the rear end: geometrids (true inchworms) have only two pairs while noctuids have three or more (see images below).

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Eurema nicippe (sleepy orange)
photo by Val Bugh


Euptoieta claudia (variegated fritillary)
photo by Val Bugh


Hemiargus ceraunus (ceraunus blue)
photo by Val Bugh


Scythris fuscicomella (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Digrammia pallidata (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Schinia chrysellus (broomweed flower moth, larva)
photo by Val Bugh


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


Megalographa biloba (bilobed looper)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (geometrid moth, larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Leptoglossus phyllopus (eastern leaf-footed bug)
photo by Val Bugh


Oncerometopus sp. (plant bug)
photo by Val Bugh


Homalodisca sp. (sharpshooter, nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


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


Unknown sp. (green lacewing, larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Blepharida rhois (sumac leaf beetle)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (gall wasp)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (root maggot fly)
photo by Val Bugh


Deopalpus sp. (tachinid fly)
photo by Val Bugh


Mimus polyglottos (northern mockingbird)
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
    Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)
    Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)
    Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
    Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii)
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)

  • Mammals:
    Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  lycaenidae  Hemiargus isola  Reakirt's Blue (adult & larva)
        Hemiargus ceraunus  Ceraunus Blue
      nymphalidae  Danaus gilippus  Queen
        Euptoieta claudia  Variegated Fritillary
        Vanessa atalanta  Red Admiral
        Agrauilis vanillae  Gulf Fritillary (larva)
      pieridae  Eurema nicippe  Sleepy Orange
        Nathalis iole  Dainty Sulphur
      hesperiidae  Pyrgus communis/albescens  Common/White Checkered-skipper
      noctuidae  Rachiplusia ou  Gray Looper Moth
        Megalographa biloba  Bilobed Looper (larva)
        Heliothis virescens  Tobacco Budworm (larva)
        Schinia chrysellus  Broomweed Flower Moth (larva)
      geometridae  Unknown sp.  Inchworm
        Digrammia pallidata  Moth
      xyloryctidae  Scythris fuscicomella  Moth

    coleoptera  carabidae  Pasimachus sp.  Ground Beetle
      chrysomelidae  Diabrotica undecimpunctata  Spotted Cucumber Beetle
        Blepharida rhois  Sumac Leaf Beetle

    hemiptera  coreidae  Leptoglossus phyllopus  Eastern Leaf-footed Bug
      lygaeidae  Nysius sp.  False Chinch Bug
      rhopalidae  Niesthrea louisianica  Scentless Plant Bug
      berytidae  Jalysus sp.  Stilt Bug
      miridae  Oncerometopus sp.  Plant Bug
      pentatomidae  Thyanta custator  Stink Bug

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Homalodisca sp.  Sharpshooter (nymph)
        Macrosteles sp.  Leafhopper

    hymenoptera  apidae  Apis mellifera  Honey Bee
      cynipidae  Unknown sp.  Gall Wasp
      ichneumonidae  Unknown sp.  Ichneumon
      formicidae  Crematogaster sp.  Acrobat Ant

    diptera  syrphidae  Allograpta obliqua  Flower Fly
      tachinidae  Deopalpus sp.  Tachinid Fly
      anthomyiidae  Unknown sp.  Root Maggot Fly

    orthoptera  acrididae  Eritettix abortivus  Texas Short-winged Slant-faced Grasshopper
        Lactista aztecus  Aztec Bandwing
      gryllidae  Gryllus sp.  Field Cricket (nymph)

    neuroptera  chrysopidae  Unknown sp.  Green Lacewing (nymph)

    araneae  dictynidae  Dictyna sp.  Meshweb Weaver
      lycosidae  Unknown sp.  Wolf Spider

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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey December 1, 2011