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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey May 19, 2011


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

Eight people participated this time on a very warm, very overcast morning. A bit of drizzle helped keep the humidity near 100%. We saw more mammals this time than usual, but the cloudy skies kept the number of butterflies and other flying insects quite low. This year seems to be a good one for owlflies, which are lacy-winged insects that look like antlions with extra long antennae. They are usually seen resting on grass stems or other thin structures, with their rear ends in the air. No, I do not know why they do that. Their eyes have a split in the middle that is quite unusual (see photo below).

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Atomosia sp. (robber fly)
photo by Val Bugh


Geron sp. (bee fly)
photo by Val Bugh


Phidippus audax (bold jumper, immature)
photo by Val Bugh


Cosmopepla lintneriana (stink bug, mating)
photo by Val Bugh


Zelus renardii (assassin bug, nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Sinea sp. (spined assassin bug)
photo by Val Bugh


Hesperolabops gelastops (cactus plant bug)
photo by Val Bugh


Calocoris barberi (plant bug)
photo by Val Bugh


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


Oulema sp. (leaf beetle)
photo by Val Bugh


Donacia sp. (aquatic leaf beetle)
photo by Val Bugh


Xylobiops basilaris (powderpost beetle)
photo by Val Bugh


Pyrota insulata (blister beetle)
photo by Val Bugh


Trichiotinus texanus (Texas flower scarab)
photo by Val Bugh


Moneilema armatum (cactus longhorn)
photo by Val Bugh


Harrisina sp. (grapeleaf skeletonizer)
photo by Val Bugh


Graphocephala versuta (leafhopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Neokolla dolobrata (leafhopper, mating)
photo by Val Bugh


Ormenis sp. (planthopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Ululodes macleayanus (owlfly)
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 Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)
    Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
    European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
    Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)
    Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus)
    Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
    Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris)
    Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus)
    White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)

  • Mammals:
    Hispid Cotton Rat (Sigmodon hispidus)
    Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)
    Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)
    Domestic Cat (Felis domesticus)
    White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

  • Reptiles & Amphibians:
    Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis)
    Rio Grande Leopard Frog (Rana berlandieri)

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

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Agraulis vanillae  Gulf Fritillary
        Phyciodes texana  Texan Crescent
      papilionidae  Papilio troilus  Spicebush Swallowtail (larva)
      lycaenidae  Hemiargus isola  Reakirt's Blue
      hesperiidae  Hylephila phyleus  Fiery Skipper
      noctuidae  Aon noctuiformis  Moth
        Unknown sp.  Moth (larva)
      saturniidae  Hyalophora cecropia  Cecropia Moth (larva)
      geometridae  Glena quinquelinearia  Five-lined Glena
        Synchlora frondaria  Camouflaged Looper (larva)
      crambidae  Aethiophysa dualis  Moth
      pyralidae  Ephestiodes gilvescentella  Dusky Raisin Moth
        Ephestiodes sp.  Moth
      tortricidae  Endothenia hebesana  Dull-barred Endothenia
      acrolophidae  Acrolophus griseus  Tubeworm Moth
        Acrolophus cressoni  Tubeworm Moth
      zygaenidae  Harrisina sp.  Grapeleaf Skeletonizer (larva)
      pterophoridae  Hellinsia sp.  Plume Moth

    coleoptera  chrysomelidae  Diabrotica undecimpunctata  Spotted Cucumber Beetle
        Donacia sp.  Aquatic Leaf Beetle
        Oulema sp.  Leaf Beetle
      coccinellidae  Coccinella septempunctata  Seven-spotted Ladybird
        Hippodamia convergens  Convergent Ladybird
        Cycloneda munda  Ladybird Beetle
        Cycloneda sanguinea  Red Ladybird
      cerambycidae  Moneilema armatum  Cactus Longhorn
        Mecas cineracea  Longhorn Beetle
      meloidae  Pyrota insulata  Blister Beetle
        Nemognatha sp.  Blister Beetle
      scarabaeidae  Trichiotinus texanus  Texas Flower Scarab
        Euphoria kernii  Flower Scarab
        Phyllophaga sp.  June Beetle
      languriidae  Languria sp.  Lizard Beetle
      bostrichidae  Xylobiops basilaris  Powderpost Beetle
      carabidae  Lebia viridis  Ground Beetle
      mordellidae  Mordellistena cervicalis  Tumbling Flower Beetle
      anthribidae  Trigonorhinus limbatus  Fungus Weevil
      curculionidae  Sitona californius  Broad-nosed Weevil
        Cylindrocopturus sp.  Weevil
        Rhinocyllus conicus  Weevil

    hemiptera  coreidae  Acanthocephala terminalis  Coreid Bug (adult & nymph)
        Leptoglossus sp.  Leaf-footed Bug (nymph)
        Chelinidea vittiger  Opuntia Bug (nymph)
        Narnia femorata  Cactus Bug
        Mozena lunata  Mesquite Bug
        Hypselonotus punctiventris  Coreid Bug
      lygaeidae  Oncopeltus fasciatus  Large Milkweed Bug
        Lygaeus kalmii  Small Milkweed Bug
      miridae  Hesperolabops gelastops  Cactus Plant Bug
        Lopidea sp.  Plant Bug (nymph)
        Calocoris barberi  Plant Bug
        Poecilocapsus lineatus  Four-lined Plant Bug
      reduviidae  Arilus cristatus  Wheel Bug (nymph)
        Sinea sp.  Spined Assassin Bug
        Zelus renardii  Assassin Bug (adult & nymph)
      cydnidae  Sehirus cinctus  Burrowing Bug
      scutelleridae  Homaemus proteus  Shield Bug
      pentatomidae  Euschistus sp.  Stink Bug (nymph)
        Cosmopepla lintneriana  Stink Bug

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Cuerna costalis  Leafhopper
        Homalodisca vitripennis  Glassy-winged Sharpshooter
        Graphocephala versuta  Leafhopper
        Tinobregmus vittatus  Leafhopper
        Neokolla dolobrata  Leafhopper
      membracidae  Ceresa sp.  Treehopper
      flatidae  Ormenis sp.  Planthopper
      issidae  Dictyonissus griphus  Planthopper
      cercopidae  Lepyronia quadrangularis  Spittlebug

    hymenoptera  apidae  Apis mellifera  Honey Bee
        Unknown sp.  Digger Bee
      halictidae  Lasioglossum sp.  Sweat Bee
        Unknown sp.  Green Sweat Bee
        Unknown sp.  Sweat Bee
      braconidae  Unknown sp.  Braconid Wasp
        Unknown sp.  Braconid Wasp (cocoons)
      vespidae  Polistes exclamans  Paper Wasp
        Polistes carolina  Red Wasp
        Vespula squamosa  Southern Yellowjacket (queen)
      sphecidae  Prionyx sp.  Thread-waisted Wasp
      pompilidae  Unknown sp.  Spider Wasp
      formicidae  Unknown sp.  Ant (workers, pupae & alates)

    diptera  syrphidae  Palpada furcata  Flower Fly
        Copestylum avidum  Flower Fly
        Ocyptamus fascipennis  Flower Fly
      bombyliidae  Geron sp.  Bee Fly
      asilidae  Atomosia sp.  Robber Fly
      culicidae  Aedes albopictus  Asian Tiger Mosquito
      dolichopodidae  Condylostylus sp.  Long-legged Fly

    odonata  coenagrionidae  Ischnura ramburii  Rambur's Forktail
      aeshnidae  Anax junius  Common Green Darner (exuviae)

    orthoptera  acrididae  Chortophaga viridifasciata  Northern Green-striped Grasshopper (nymph)
      tettigoniidae  Scudderia furcata  Fork-tailed Bush Katydid (nymph)
        Unknown sp.  Meadow Katydid (nymph)
      gryllidae  Oecanthus sp.  Tree Cricket (nymph)

    phasmatodea  diapheromeridae  Megaphasma denticrus  Giant Walkingstick (male)

    neuroptera  chrysopidae  Unknown sp.  Green Lacewing (larva)
      ascalaphidae  Ululodes macleayanus  Owlfly

    araneae  salticidae  Phidippus audax  Bold Jumper
      oxyopidae  Oxyopes salticus  Striped Lynx
        Peucetia viridans  Green Lynx
      thomisidae  Mecaphesa sp.  Crab Spider
      philodromidae  Philodromus sp.  Running Crab Spider

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