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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey March 26, 2011


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

Cool temperatures prevailed during a mostly cloudy morning, which suited our party of four just fine, but kept flying insects, such as butterflies, to a minimum. We found a number of thread-legged katydid nymphs out in the Wildflower Meadow. These insects will have incredibly long legs when they mature. Images this time include sex, violence, and a caterpillar exposing itself, so scroll down carefully.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Chlorochlamys chloroleucaria (blackberry looper moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Acronicta americana (American dagger)
photo by Val Bugh


Palthis asopialis (faint-spotted palthis)
photo by Val Bugh


Platynota flavedana (black-shaded platynota moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Ypsolopha unicipunctella (agarita slug, a moth caterpillar)
photo by Val Bugh


Catocala ilia (ilia underwing larva - yes, it is lying on its back)
photo by Val Bugh


Crematogaster sp. (acrobat ant nectaring on possumhaw)
photo by Val Bugh


Arphia simplex (plains yellow-winged grasshopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Schistocerca americana (American bird grasshopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Arethaea ambulator (walking thread-legged katydid nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Cycloneda sanguinea (red ladybird larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Mordellistena cervicalis (tumbling flower beetle)
photo by Val Bugh


Oncerometopus sp. (plant bug)
photo by Val Bugh


Philodromus sp. (running crab spider)
photo by Val Bugh


Phidippus arizonensis (Arizona jumper)
photo by Val Bugh


Mecaphesa sp. (crab spider eating dance fly)
photo by Val Bugh


Hentzia palmarum (long-jawed jumper, mating pair)
photo by Val Bugh


Eris militaris (bronze jumper eating pale-veined isturgia caterpillar)
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii)
    Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)

  • Reptiles:
    Eastern Blackneck Garter Snake (Thamnophis cyrtopsis ocellatus)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Vanessa atalanta  Red Admiral
      lycaenidae  Callophrys henrici  Henry's Elfin (adult & larva)
        Everes comyntas  Eastern Tailed-blue
      pieridae  Nathalis iole  Dainty Sulphur
        Anthocharis midea  Falcate Orangetip
        Colias eurytheme  Orange Sulphur
      hesperiidae  Pyrgus communis/albescens  Common/White Checkered-skipper
      noctuidae  Ponometia candefacta  Olive-shaded Bird Dropping Moth
        Tarache tetragona  Four-spotted Bird Dropping Moth
        Alypia octomaculata  Eight-spotted Forester
        Phoberia atomaris  Common Oak Moth
        Acronicta americana  American Dagger
        Bleptina caradrinalis  Bent-winged Owlet
        Charadra dispulsa  Moth
        Lacinipolia erecta  Moth
        Tripudia quadrifera  Moth
        Palthis asopialis  Faint-spotted Palthis
        Catocala ilia  Ilia Underwing (larva)
        Heliothis virescens  Tobacco Budworm (larva)
      arctiidae  Estigmene acrea  Saltmarsh Moth (adult & eggs)
      geometridae  Pero meskaria  Moth
        Eupithecia miserulata  Common Pug
        Chlorochlamys chloroleucaria  Blackberry Looper Moth
        Rindgea cyda  Moth
        Phigalia titea  The Halfwing (adult & larva)
        Glena quinquelinearia  Five-lined Glena
        Isturgia dislocaria  Pale-veined Isturgia (adult & larva)
      crambidae  Pyrausta laticlavia  Southern Purple Mint Moth
        Urola nivalis  Snowy Urola
        Diastictis fracturalis  Moth
        Hileithia magualis  Moth
        Achyra rantalis  Garden Webworm Moth
      pyralidae  Ephestiodes sp.  Moth
        Homoeosoma electella  Sunflower Moth
      sphingidae  Darapsa myron  Virginia Creeper Sphinx
      lacturidae  Lactura sp.  Moth (adult & larva)
      ypsolophidae  Ypsolopha unicipunctella  Agarita Slug (larva)
      coleophoridae  Blastobasis sp.  Moth
      tortricidae  Platynota flavedana  Black-shaded Platynota Moth
        Eucosma sp.  Leafroller Moth
        Pseudexentera spoliana  Leafroller Moth
      acrolophidae  Acrolophus mortipennella  Tubeworm Moth
      zygaenidae  Harrisina coracina  Grapeleaf Skeletonizer Moth
      elachistidae  Ethmia zelleriella  Zeller's Ethmia
        Ethmia semilugens  Ethmia Moth

    coleoptera  coccinellidae  Cycloneda sanguinea  Red Ladybird (larva)
      chrysomelidae  Asphaera lustrans  Flea Beetle
        Systena hudsonias  Flea Beetle
        Xanthonia sp.  Leaf Beetle
        Babia quadriguttata  Leaf Beetle
      scarabaeidae  Diplotaxis sp.  June Beetle
      mordellidae  Mordellistena cervicalis  Tumbling Flower Beetle
      bostrichidae  Amphicerus bicaudatus  Apple Twig Borer
      curculionidae  Conotrachelus leucophaeatus  Weevil

    hemiptera  coreidae  Acanthocephala terminalis  Coreid Bug
        Leptoglossus phyllopus  Eastern Leaf-footed Bug
        Mozena lunata  Mesquite Bug
      alydidae  Alydus pilosulus  Broad-headed Bug (nymph)
      reduviidae  Zelus tetracanthus  Four-spined Assassin Bug
      miridae  Oncerometopus sp.  Plant Bug
      pentatomidae  Unknown sp.  Stink Bug (eggs & nymphs)
        Brochymena sp.  Rough Stink Bug
        Euschistus quadrator  Stink Bug

    hymenoptera  vespidae  Polistes exclamans  Paper Wasp
        Polistes carolina  Red Wasp
        Polistes dorsalis  Paper Wasp
        Polistes metricus  Paper Wasp
      tenthredinidae  Periclista sp.  Common Sawfly (larva)
      braconidae  Unknown sp.  Braconid Wasp
      formicidae  Crematogaster sp.  Acrobat Ant
      apidae  Apis mellifera  Honey Bee

    diptera  syrphidae  Eupeodes volucris  Flower fly
      sarcophagidae  Unknown sp.  Flesh Fly
      empididae  Unknown sp.  Dance Fly
      asilidae  Efferia sp.  Robber Fly
      tephritidae  Eutreta sp.  Fruit Fly
      tachinidae  Unknown sp.  Tachinid Fly (egg)

    orthoptera  acrididae  Eritettix abortivus  Texas Short-winged Slant-faced Grasshopper
        Mermiria sp.  Slant-faced Grasshopper (nymph)
        Chortophaga viridifasciata  Northern Green-striped Grasshopper
        Lactista aztecus  Aztec Bandwing
        Arphia simplex  Plains Yellow-winged Grasshopper
        Melanoplus sp.  Spur-throated Grasshopper (nymph)
        Schistocerca americana  American Bird Grasshopper
      tettigoniidae  Arethaea ambulator  Walking Thread-legged Katydid (nymph)
        Dichopetala catinata  Spoon-tailed Short-winged Katydid (nymph)
        Pediodectes nigromarginatus  Black-margined Shieldback (nymph)

    araneae  salticidae  Eris militaris  Bronze Jumper
        Phidippus arizonensis  Arizona Jumper
        Thiodina sylvana  Jumping Spider
        Hentzia palmarum  Long-jawed Jumper
      araneidae  Mangora placida  Orbweaver
      philodromidae  Philodromus sp.  Running Crab Spider
      thomisidae  Mecaphesa sp.  Crab Spider
      anyphaenidae  Hibana sp.  Ghost Spider
      lycosidae  Unknown sp.  Wolf Spider
      linyphiidae  Unknown sp.  Dwarf Spider
      theraphosidae  Aphonopelma sp.  Tarantula

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