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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey May 5, 2011


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

The morning was sunny and cool as seven people participated in this week's survey. In the Butterfly Garden, the Texas Parsley blossoms were hosting an incredible number of wasp species, a sample of which are shown below. Tiny black and orange nymphs of the Aztec Spurthroat Grasshopper are often noticed by gardeners and we found our first hatchlings today. As they grow, they will lose their gaudy colors and become dark brown adults that are barely over a half inch long.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Bicyrtes sp. (sand wasp)
photo by Val Bugh


Monobia quadridens (mason wasp)
photo by Val Bugh


Sphex ichneumoneus (great golden digger wasp)
photo by Val Bugh


Cerceris sp. (wasp)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (spur-throated grasshopper, nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Aidemona azteca (Aztec spur-throated grasshopper, hatchling)
photo by Val Bugh


Dichopetala catinata (spoon-tailed short-winged katydid, male)
photo by Val Bugh


Chlorochroa ligata (conchuela, nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Euschistus sp. (stink bug, nymph, with tachinid fly egg on right)
photo by Val Bugh


Prosapia bicincta (two-lined spittlebug)
photo by Val Bugh


Oxyopes salticus (striped lynx eating root maggot fly)
photo by Val Bugh


Eurema nicippe (sleepy orange, larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Acrolophus texanella (Texas tubeworm moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Eulithis diversilineata (lesser grapevine looper moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Prodoxus sp. (bogus yucca moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Leptotes marina (marine blue)
photo by Val Bugh


Asterocampa clyton (tawny emperor)
photo by Val Bugh


Trirhabda bacharidis (leaf beetle)
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii)
    Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)
    Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri)
    Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus)
    Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)
    Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
    Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica)
    Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota)
    Eastern Wood-pewee (Contopus virens)
    Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla)
    Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)
    House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus)
    Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria)
    Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
    Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus)
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
    Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris)
    Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
    Western Scrub-jay (Aphelocoma californica)
    White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)

  • Reptiles & Amphibians:
    Redstripe Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis proximus rubrilineatus)
    Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans)
    Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta)
    Rio Grande Leopard Frog (Rana berlandieri)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Vanessa virginiensis  American Lady
        Asterocampa clyton  Tawny Emperor
        Chlosyne lacinia  Bordered Patch (larva)
        Danaus gilippus  Queen
        Danaus plexippus  Monarch
      lycaenidae  Satyrium favonius  Oak Hairstreak
        Strymon melinus  Gray Hairstreak
        Phaeostrymon alcestis  Soapberry Hairstreak
        Atlides halesus  Great Purple Hairstreak
        Hemiargus isola  Reakirt's Blue (adult & larva)
        Leptotes marina  Marine Blue
      pieridae  Eurema nicippe  Sleepy Orange (adult & larva)
        Colias cesonia  Southern Dogface
        Phoebis sennae  Cloudless Sulphur
      papilionidae  Papilio multicaudata  Two-tailed Swallowtail (larva)
      hesperiidae  Wallengrenia otho  Southern Broken-dash
        Euphyes vestris  Dun Skipper
        Erynnis horatius  Horace's Duskywing
        Epargyreus clarus  Silver-spotted Skipper (larva)
      noctuidae  Tripudia quadrifera  Moth
        Ponometia candefacta  Olive-shaded Bird Dropping Moth
        Megalographa biloba  Bilobed Looper Moth
        Heliothis virescens  Tobacco Budworm (larva)
      arctiidae  Estigmene acrea  Saltmarsh Caterpillar
      saturniidae  Automeris io  Io Moth (larva)
        Hyalophora cecropia  Cecropia Moth (larva)
      geometridae  Iridopsis defectaria  Brown-shaded Gray Moth
        Iridopsis gemella  Moth
        Pimaphera percata  Moth
        Nemoria zygotaria  Emerald
        Synchlora frondaria  Camouflaged Looper (larva)
        Glenoides texanaria  Texas Gray Moth
        Eulithis diversilineata  Lesser Grapevine Looper Moth
      crambidae  Urola nivalis  Snowy Urola
        Uresiphita reversalis  Genista Caterpillar
      pyralidae  Peoria tetradella  Grass-veneer Moth
        Alberada bidentella  Moth
      oecophoridae  Inga cretacea  Chalky Inga
        Inga sparsiciliella  Black-marked Inga
      tortricidae  Aethes seriatana  Seriated Aethes Moth
        Acleris minuta  Yellow-headed Fireworm Moth
        Ancylis comptana  Strawberry Leafroller Moth
      coleophoridae  Pigritia sp.  Moth
      pterophoridae  Geina sp.  Plume Moth
      acrolophidae  Acrolophus texanella  Texas Tubeworm Moth
      prodoxidae  Prodoxus sp.  Bogus Yucca Moth

    coleoptera  coccinellidae  Coccinella septempunctata  Seven-spotted Ladybird
        Harmonia axyridis  Multi-colored Asian Ladybird
        Hippodamia convergens  Convergent Ladybird
      chrysomelidae  Diabrotica undecimpunctata  Spotted Cucumber Beetle
        Systena hudsonias  Flea Beetle
        Asphaera lustrans  Flea Beetle
        Trirhabda bacharidis  Leaf Beetle
        Cryptocephalus notatus  Leaf Beetle
        Cryptocephalus mucoreus  Leaf Beetle
        Saxinis sinuata  Leaf Beetle
        Chrysomela texana  Leaf Beetle (larva)
      buprestidae  Acmaeodera ornatoides  Metallic Woodborer
      mordellidae  Mordellistena cervicalis  Tumbling Flower Beetle
      meloidae  Nemognatha sp.  Blister Beetle
      anthribidae  Trigonorhinus limbatus  Fungus Weevil

    hemiptera  coreidae  Acanthocephala terminalis  Coreid Bug (nymph)
        Anasa tristis  Squash Bug (nymph)
        Leptoglossus phyllopus  Eastern Leaf-footed Bug
        Chelinidea vittiger  Opuntia Bug (nymph)
      lygaeidae  Oncopeltus fasciatus  Large Milkweed Bug
        Nysius sp.  False Chinch Bug (adult & nymph)
      rhopalidae  Harmostes sp.  Scentless Plant Bug (adult & nymph)
      reduviidae  Apiomerus spissipes  Bee Assassin
      miridae  Neurocolpus sp.  Plant Bug
        Calocoris barberi  Plant Bug
      hydrometridae  Hydrometra sp.  Marsh Treader
      unknown family  Unknown sp.  Bug (eggs)
      pentatomidae  Chlorochroa ligata  Conchuela (nymph)
        Euschistus sp.  Stink Bug (nymph)

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Cuerna costalis  Leafhopper
        Neokolla dolobrata  Leafhopper
      issidae  Dictyonissus griphus  Planthopper (nymph)
        Thionia acuta  Planthopper
      acanaloniidae  Acanalonia sp.  Planthopper (nymph)
      cercopidae  Clastoptera sp.  Spittlebug
        Prosapia bicincta  Two-lined Spittlebug
      aphididae  Aphis nerii  Oleander Aphid

    hymenoptera  apidae  Apis mellifera  Honey Bee
        Bombus pensylvanicus  American Bumble Bee
      halictidae  Unknown sp.  Green Sweat Bee
        Lasioglossum sp.  Sweat Bee
        Unknown sp.  Sweat Bee
      vespidae  Polistes exclamans  Paper Wasp
        Polistes carolina  Red Wasp
        Vespula squamosa  Southern Yellowjacket (queen)
        Euodynerus crypticus  Mason Wasp
        Monobia quadridens  Mason Wasp
      crabronidae  Bicyrtes sp.  Sand Wasp
        Cerceris sp.  Wasp
      sphecidae  Sphex ichneumoneus  Great Golden Digger Wasp
        Prionyx sp.  Thread-waisted Wasp
        Ammophila sp.  Thread-waisted Wasp
      pompilidae  Tachypompilus unicolor  Spider Wasp
        Unknown sp.  Spider Wasp
      ichneumonidae  Unknown sp.  Ichneumon
      formicidae  Solenopsis invicta  Imported Fire Ant

    diptera  dolichopodidae  Condylostylus sp.  Long-legged fly
      asilidae  Atomosia sp.  Robber Fly
      anthomyiidae  Unknown sp.  Root Maggot Fly
      platystomatidae  Rivellia sp.  Signal Fly
      sarcophagidae  Unknown sp.  Flesh Fly
      syrphidae  Copestylum marginatum  Flower Fly
        Palpada furcata  Flower Fly
        Palpada vinetorum  Flower Fly
        Ocyptamus fascipennis  Flower Fly
      tachinidae  Trichopoda plumipes  Feather-legged Fly
        Unknown sp.  Tachinid Fly (egg)
        Unknown sp.  Tachinid Fly
        Microphthalma sp.  Tachinid Fly

    odonata  coenagrionidae  Ischnura ramburii  Rambur's Forktail
        Argia immunda  Kiowa Dancer
        Argia fumipennis  Variable Dancer
      libellulidae  Tramea sp.  Saddlebags
        Libellula croceipennis  Neon Skimmer
        Erythemis simplicicollis  Eastern Pondhawk

    orthoptera  acrididae  Melanoplus differentialis  Differential Grasshopper (nymph)
        Melanoplus sp.  Spur-throated Grasshopper (nymph)
        Unknown sp.  Spur-throated Grasshopper (nymph)
        Aidemona azteca  Aztec Spurthroat (nymph)
      tettigoniidae  Scudderia furcata  Fork-tailed Bush Katydid (nymph)
        Dichopetala catinata  Spoon-tailed Short-winged Katydid (adult & nymph)
        Conocephalus sp.  Meadow Katydid (nymph)

    araneae  salticidae  Hentzia palmarum  Long-jawed Jumper
      oxyopidae  Oxyopes salticus  Striped Lynx
      araneidae  Argiope aurantia  Black and Yellow Garden Spider
      thomisidae  Mecaphesa sp.  Crab Spider
      tetragnathidae  Tetragnatha laboriosa  Silver Long-jawed Orbweaver
      pisauridae  Dolomedes triton  Fishing Spider

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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey May 5, 2011