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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey February 17, 2011


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

With ten pairs of eyes searching for animals, we observed quite a good number (for Feb.) on this drizzly but mild morning. After last week's sub-freezing temperature, it's amazing what a difference a mere 45°F makes! The lack of sun kept most flying insects grounded, so we spent more time looking at those that tend to crawl. Especially prominent were grasshoppers and spiders. The pygmy grasshopper shown below (and missing its right rear leg) made the mistake of jumping into the pond, where it was quickly snapped up by a mosquito fish. The assassin bug nymph pictured below should never be handled; although only about 7 mm long, its bite is potent!

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Chortophaga viridifasciata (northern green-striped grasshopper, pink form)
photo by Val Bugh


Arphia sp. (band-winged grasshopper, nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Lactista aztecus (Aztec bandwing, nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Schistocerca damnifica (mischievous bird grasshopper)
photo by Val Bugh


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


Paratettix sp. (pygmy grasshopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Apis mellifera (honey bee, getting a drink of water)
photo by Val Bugh


Xysticus sp. (crab spider)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (wolf spider, with egg sac)
photo by Val Bugh


Rasahus biguttatus (assassin bug, nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Neopamera bilobata (seed bug)
photo by Val Bugh


Euborellia annulipes (ring-legged earwig)
photo by Val Bugh


Asphaera lustrans (flea beetle)
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
    American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)
    Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii)
    Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)
    Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)
    Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
    Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)
    Crested Caracara (Caracara cheriway)
    Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
    House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus)
    Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria)
    Lincoln's Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii)
    Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
    Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus)
    Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
    Western Scrub-jay (Aphelocoma californica)
    White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys)

  • Fish:
    Mosquito Fish (Gambusia sp.)

  • Mollusks:
    Pond Snail (Unknown sp.)

  • Misc.:
    Pillbug (Armadillidium vulgare)
    Millipede (Unknown sp.)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  noctuidae  Psychomorpha epimenis  Grapevine Epimenis

    coleoptera  coccinellidae  Coccinella septempunctata  Seven-spotted Ladybird
        Harmonia axyridis  Multi-colored Asian Ladybird
      carabidae  Pasimachus sp.  Ground Beetle
      chrysomelidae  Asphaera lustrans  Flea Beetle
        Diabrotica undecimpunctata  Spotted Cucumber Beetle

    hemiptera  reduviidae  Rasahus biguttatus  Assassin Bug (nymph)
      rhyparochromidae  Neopamera bilobata  Seed Bug

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Cuerna costalis  Leafhopper

    hymenoptera  vespidae  Polistes exclamans  Paper Wasp
      formicidae  Solenopsis invicta  Imported Fire Ant
        Crematogaster sp.  Acrobat Ant
        Camponotus sp.  Carpenter Ant
      apidae  Apis mellifera  Honey Bee

    diptera  scathophagidae  Unknown sp.  Dung Fly

    orthoptera  acrididae  Schistocerca damnifica  Mischievous Bird Grasshopper
        Eritettix abortivus  Texas Short-winged Slant-faced Grasshopper
        Arphia sp.  Band-winged Grasshopper (nymph)
        Chortophaga viridifasciata  Northern Green-striped Grasshopper (nymph)
        Lactista aztecus  Aztec Bandwing (nymph)
      tetrigidae  Paratettix sp.  Pygmy Grasshopper
      tettigoniidae  Pediodectes bruneri  Bruner's Shieldback (nymph)
      gryllidae  Gryllus sp.  Field Cricket (nymph)

    blattodea  blattellidae  Parcoblatta sp.  Wood Roach (nymph)

    dermaptera  anisolabididae  Euborellia annulipes  Ring-legged Earwig

    araneae  lycosidae  Rabidosa rabida  Rabid Wolf Spider
        Unknown sp.  Wolf Spider
      oxyopidae  Oxyopes acleistus  Lynx Spider
      tetragnathidae  Tetragnatha laboriosa  Silver Long-jawed Orbweaver
      thomisidae  Tmarus sp.  Crab Spider
        Xysticus sp.  Crab Spider

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