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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey March 31, 2011


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

Six people conducted this week's survey, in spite of very chilly temperatures beginning about 44°F. By midmorning, though, it was warm enough for reptiles; we saw both snakes pictured below at the same time! Birds were also a highlight, with a hummingbird perched in a tree, turkey vultures flying so low we could see their pink heads, and an owl in a planter above the entry archway.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Bubo virginianus (great horned owl)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (big-headed fly)
photo by Val Bugh


Trichopoda plumipes (feather-legged fly)
photo by Val Bugh


Arphia xanthoptera (autumn yellow-winged grasshopper, nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Aristotelia sp. (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Poecilocapsus lineatus (four-lined plant bug)
photo by Val Bugh


Baileya australis (small baileya)
photo by Val Bugh


Fissicrambus profanellus (grass-veneer moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Pyrausta laticlavia (southern purple mint moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Psychomorpha epimenis (grapevine epimenis, larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Enallagma civile (familiar bluet)
photo by Val Bugh


Neriene radiata (filmy dome spider, female, with male in background)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (ichneumon)
photo by Val Bugh


Hippia packardii (prominent, larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Sceloporus undulatus hyacinthinus (northern fence lizard)
photo by Val Bugh


Thyris sepulchralis (mournful thyris moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Anthocharis midea (falcate orangetip, male)
photo by Val Bugh


Elaphe obsoleta lindheimeri (Texas rat snake)
photo by Val Bugh


Salvadora grahamiae lineata (Texas patchnose snake)
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
    Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii)
    Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)
    Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri)
    Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)
    Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
    Cave or Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon sp.)
    Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
    Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)
    Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus)
    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)
    Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula)
    Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
    Western Scrub-jay (Aphelocoma californica)
    White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus)
    White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)

  • Mammals:
    White-tailed Deer antler (Odocoileus virginianus)

  • Reptiles:
    Texas Rat Snake (Elaphe obsoleta lindheimeri)
    Texas Patchnose Snake (Salvadora grahamiae lineata)
    Northern Fence Lizard (Sceloporus undulatus hyacinthinus)

  • Misc.:
    Striped Bark Scorpion (Centruroides vittatus)
    Harvestman (Unknown sp.)
    Millipede (Unknown sp.)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Vanessa atalanta  Red Admiral
        Danaus plexippus  Monarch
      lycaenidae  Callophrys henrici  Henry's Elfin (larva)
        Callophrys gryneus  Juniper Hairstreak
      pieridae  Nathalis iole  Dainty Sulphur
        Anthocharis midea  Falcate Orangetip
        Colias eurytheme  Orange Sulphur
        Eurema nicippe  Sleepy Orange (larva)
      hesperiidae  Pyrgus communis/albescens  Common/White Checkered-skipper
        Lerema accius  Clouded Skipper
      noctuidae  Lacinipolia laudabilis  Laudable Arches Moth
        Charadra dispulsa  Moth
        Tripudia quadrifera  Moth
        Feltia subterranea  Subterranean Dart
        Bleptina caradrinalis  Bent-winged Owlet
        Catocala ilia  Ilia Underwing (larva)
        Acronicta rubricoma  Ruddy Dagger (larva)
        Psychomorpha epimenis  Grapevine Epimenis (larva)
      nolidae  Baileya australis  Small Baileya
      notodontidae  Hippia packardii  Prominent (larva)
        Lochmaeus bilineata  Double-lined Prominent
        Schizura unicornis  Unicorn Caterpillar Moth
      thyrididae  Thyris sepulchralis  Mournful Thyris Moth
      geometridae  Eupithecia longidens  Pug
        Eupithecia miserulata  Common Pug
        Glenoides texanaria  Texas Gray Moth
        Phigalia strigataria  Small Phigalia (larva)
      crambidae  Pyrausta laticlavia  Southern Purple Mint Moth
        Urola nivalis  Snowy Urola
        Diastictis fracturalis  Moth
        Uresiphita reversalis  Genista Caterpillar
        Achyra rantalis  Garden Webworm Moth
        Fissicrambus profanellus  Grass-veneer Moth
      pterophoridae  Geina sp.  Plume Moth (larva)
      lacturidae  Lactura sp.  Moth (adult & larva)
      coleophoridae  Blastobasis sp.  Moth
      gelechiidae  Aristotelia sp.  Moth
        Anacampsis paltodoriella  Moth
      acrolophidae  Acrolophus mortipennella  Tubeworm Moth
      xyloryctidae  Scythris fuscicomella  Moth
      elachistidae  Ethmia zelleriella  Zeller's Ethmia

    coleoptera  coccinellidae  Coccinella septempunctata  Seven-spotted Ladybird
        Harmonia axyridis  Multi-colored Asian Ladybird
        Hippodamia convergens  Convergent Ladybird
      chrysomelidae  Phyllobrotica limbata  Leaf Beetle
        Systena hudsonias  Flea Beetle
        Brachypnoea sp.  Leaf Beetle
        Pachybrachis vestigialis  Leaf Beetle
        Ophraella sp.  Leaf Beetle
      languriidae  Languria sp.  Lizard Beetle
      mordellidae  Mordellistena cervicalis  Tumbling Flower Beetle
      curculionidae  Rhinocyllus conicus  Weevil

    hemiptera  coreidae  Mozena lunata  Mesquite Bug
      cydnidae  Sehirus cinctus  Burrowing Bug
      miridae  Oncerometopus sp.  Plant Bug (adult & nymph)
        Poecilocapsus lineatus  Four-lined Plant Bug (adult & nymph)
        Lopidea major  Plant Bug
      pentatomidae  Unknown sp.  Stink Bug (eggs)
        Brochymena arborea  Rough Stink Bug
        Chlorochroa ligata  Conchuela
        Menecles portacrus  Stink Bug (nymph)

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Scaphytopius sp.  Leafhopper
        Unknown sp.  Leafhopper
      psyllidae  Pachypsylla venusta  Hackberry Petiole Gall Psyllid (nymph)

    hymenoptera  braconidae  Unknown sp.  Braconid Wasp
      ichneumonidae  Unknown sp.  Ichneumon
      tenthredinidae  Periclista sp.  Common Sawfly (larva)
        Unknown sp.  Common Sawfly
      perilampidae  Unknown sp.  Perilampid Wasp
      cynipidae  Amphibolips confluenta  Oak Apple Gall
      apidae  Apis mellifera  Honey Bee

    diptera  syrphidae  Copestylum mexicana  Black Flower fly
      sarcophagidae  Unknown sp.  Flesh Fly
      platystomatidae  Unknown sp.  Platystomatid Fly
      pipunculidae  Unknown sp.  Big-headed Fly
      tephritidae  Paracantha sp.  Fruit Fly
        Neotephritis finalis  Fruit Fly
      tachinidae  Trichopoda plumipes  Feather-legged Fly

    odonata  coenagrionidae  Enallagma civile  Familiar Bluet

    orthoptera  acrididae  Eritettix abortivus  Texas Short-winged Slant-faced Grasshopper
        Amblytropidia mysteca  Brown Winter Grasshopper
        Chortophaga viridifasciata  Northern Green-striped Grasshopper
        Lactista aztecus  Aztec Bandwing
        Arphia simplex  Plains Yellow-winged Grasshopper
        Arphia xanthoptera  Autumn Yellow-winged Grasshopper (nymph)
        Schistocerca americana  American Bird Grasshopper
      tettigoniidae  Arethaea ambulator  Walking Thread-legged Katydid (nymph)
        Scudderia furcata  Fork-tailed Bush Katydid (nymph)
        Pediodectes nigromarginatus  Black-margined Shieldback (nymph)
      gryllidae  Gryllus sp.  Field Cricket

    neuroptera  chrysopidae  Unknown sp.  Green Lacewing
      myrmeleontidae  Myrmeleon sp.  Antlion (larva)

    araneae  salticidae  Habronattus fallax  Jumping Spider
        Habronattus sp.  Jumping Spider
      araneidae  Mangora placida  Orbweaver
      gnaphosidae  Cesonia bilineata  Two-striped Ground Spider
      thomisidae  Mecaphesa sp.  Crab Spider
      oxyopidae  Oxyopes salticus  Striped Lynx
      amphinectidae  Metaltella simoni  Spider
      linyphiidae  Neriene radiata  Filmy Dome Spider
      dictynidae  Dictyna sp.  Meshweb Weaver
      theraphosidae  Aphonopelma sp.  Tarantula

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