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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey July 30, 2011


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

Although it was hot, mostly cloudy skies kept our party of six from becoming too overheated for much of the morning. The most well-known use for spider webs is as a means for the spider to catch its food. However, the web can also create a safe retreat from certain predators, as we witnessed when the Trypoxylon wasp shown below was thwarted in her attempt to reach a small cobweb weaver. If she had been able to catch the spider, she would have paralyzed it and added it to her nest as food for her offspring.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Neodiplocampta miranda (bee fly)
photo by Val Bugh


Polacantha sp. (robber fly, female)
photo by Val Bugh


Erythemis vesiculosa (great pondhawk)
photo by Val Bugh


Omophoita cyanipennis (flea beetle)
photo by Val Bugh


Acanalonia parva (planthopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Manduca sexta (Carolina sphinx moth, larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Diastictis fracturalis (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Aetole sp. (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Monopis sp. (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Lasioglossum sp. (sweat bee)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (green sweat bee)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (chalcid wasp)
photo by Val Bugh


Trypoxylon sp. (wasp)
photo by Val Bugh


Anelosimus studiosus (social cobweb weaver)
photo by Val Bugh


Peucetia viridans (green lynx with honey bee)
photo by Val Bugh


Centruroides vittatus (striped bark scorpion)
photo by Val Bugh


Opheodrys aestivus (rough green snake)
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
    Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri)
    Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor)
    Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria)
    Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
    Purple Martin (Progne subis)
    Titmouse (Baeolophus sp.)
    Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
    White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)

  • Mammals:
    Hispid Cotton Rat (Sigmodon hispidus)

  • Reptiles:
    Rough Green Snake (Opheodrys aestivus)
    Redstripe Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis proximus rubrilineatus)
    Mediterranean Gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus)
    Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis)

  • Misc.:
    Striped Bark Scorpion (Centruroides vittatus)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Danaus gilippus  Queen
      lycaenidae  Hemiargus isola  Reakirt's Blue
      pieridae  Eurema nicippe  Sleepy Orange
      hesperiidae  Pyrgus communis/albescens  Common/White Checkered-skipper
        Euphyes vestris  Dun Skipper
        Nastra julia  Julia's Skipper
      geometridae  Anavitrinella atristrigaria  Gulf Coast Gray
      sphingidae  Manduca sexta  Carolina Sphinx (larva)
      crambidae  Diastictis fracturalis  Moth
        Microtheoris ophionalis  Yellow-veined Moth
      pyralidae  Peoria tetradella  Grass-veneer Moth
        Ephestiodes sp.  Moth
      elachistidae  Ethmia hodgesella  Ethmia Moth
        Unknown sp.  Moth
      xyloryctidae  Unknown sp.  Moth
      tineidae  Monopis sp.  Moth
      gelechiidae  Aristotelia sp.  Moth
      heliodinidae  Aetole sp.  Moth

    coleoptera  chrysomelidae  Asphaera lustrans  Flea Beetle
        Omophoita cyanipennis  Flea Beetle
      coccinellidae  Harmonia axyridis  Multi-colored Asian Ladybird
        Unknown sp.  Ladybird Beetle (larva)
      anthribidae  Trigonorhinus limbatus  Fungus Weevil

    hemiptera  coreidae  Narnia femorata  Cactus Bug (adult & nymph)
        Leptoglossus phyllopus  Eastern Leaf-footed Bug
      berytidae  Jalysus sp.  Stilt Bug
      tingidae  Corythucha sp.  Lace Bug
      thyreocoridae  Corimelaena sp.  Ebony Bug

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Homalodisca vitripennis  Glassy-winged Sharpshooter
      cicadidae  Tibicen texanus  Cicada
        Tibicen superbus  Superb Cicada
      acanaloniidae  Acanalonia parva  Planthopper
      cixiidae  Oliarus sp.  Planthopper
      flatidae  Metcalfa pruinosa  Citrus Planthopper
      membracidae  Ceresa sp.  Treehopper

    hymenoptera  apidae  Apis mellifera  Honey Bee
        Bombus pensylvanicus  American Bumble Bee
        Unknown sp.  Digger Bee
        Xylocopa tabaniformis  Large Carpenter Bee
        Xylocopa virginica  Eastern Carpenter Bee
        Xylocopa micans  Southern Carpenter Bee
      megachilidae  Megachile sp.  Leaf-cutter Bee
      halictidae  Unknown sp.  Green Sweat Bee
        Lasioglossum sp.  Sweat Bee
      vespidae  Polistes carolina  Red Wasp
        Polistes exclamans  Paper Wasp
        Polistes metricus  Paper Wasp
      crabronidae  Trypoxylon sp.  Wasp
        Bicyrtes sp.  Sand Wasp
        Tachysphex sp.  Digger Wasp
      sphecidae  Sphex ichneumoneus  Great Golden Digger Wasp
        Sceliphron caementarium  Yellow-and-black Mud Dauber
        Prionyx sp.  Thread-waisted Wasp
      braconidae  Unknown sp.  Braconid Wasp
      ichneumonidae  Unknown sp.  Ichneumon
      chalcididae  Unknown sp.  Chalcid Wasp

    diptera  dolichopodidae  Unknown sp.  Long-legged Fly
      asilidae  Polacantha sp.  Robber Fly
      syrphidae  Ocyptamus fascipennis  Flower Fly
      bombyliidae  Neodiplocampta miranda  Bee Fly
      tachinidae  Unknown sp.  Tachinid Fly

    odonata  coenagrionidae  Argia immunda  Kiowa Dancer
        Ischnura ramburii  Rambur's Forktail
        Enallagma civile  Familiar Bluet
      libellulidae  Orthemis ferruginea  Roseate Skimmer
        Tramea onusta  Red Saddlebags
        Erythemis simplicicollis  Eastern Pondhawk
        Erythemis vesiculosa  Great Pondhawk

    orthoptera  tettigoniidae  Scudderia furcata  Fork-tailed Bush Katydid (nymph)

    araneae  salticidae  Phidippus audax  Bold Jumper
        Pelegrina galathea  Peppered Jumper
        Anasaitis canosa  Jumping Spider
      araneidae  Argiope aurantia  Black and Yellow Garden Spider
        Neoscona crucifera  Orbweaver
      oxyopidae  Peucetia viridans  Green Lynx
      theridiidae  Anelosimus studiosus  Social Cobweb Weaver

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