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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey August 11, 2011


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

It was stifling hot and partly sunny this time as five participants did their best to seek out the ever diminishing fauna. The drought is not being friendly to plants or animals. One curiously gruesome find was the Rambur's Forktail (a damselfly) that was eating something. Only upon seeing the enlarged photo later did it become obvious that the tail end of another Rambur's Forktail was the meal.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Agraulis vanillae (gulf fritillary)
photo by Val Bugh


Systasea pulverulenta (Texas powdered-skipper)
photo by Val Bugh


Erinnyis obscura (obscure sphinx)
photo by Val Bugh


Parachma ochracealis (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Charidotella sexpunctata (golden tortoise beetles mating)
photo by Val Bugh


Thamnophis proximus rubrilineatus (redstripe ribbon snake)
photo by Val Bugh


Lepyronia quadrangularis (spittlebug
photo by Val Bugh


Hymetta sp. (leafhopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Illinigina illinoiensis (leafhoppers mating)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (leafhopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Engytatus modestus (plant bug)
photo by Val Bugh


Hypselonotus punctiventris (coreid bug)
photo by Val Bugh


Ischnura ramburii (Rambur's forktail engaged in cannibalism)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (slant-faced grasshopper nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Stagmomantis carolina (Carolina mantis nymph)
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
    Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri)
    Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus)
    Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)
    Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
    Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica)
    Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
    Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria)
    Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
    Purple Martin (Progne subis)
    Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra)
    Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
    Western Scrub-jay (Aphelocoma californica)
    White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)

  • Mammals:
    Hispid Cotton Rat (Sigmodon hispidus)
    Domestic Dog (Canis domesticus)

  • Reptiles:
    Redstripe Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis proximus rubrilineatus)
    Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis)
    Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans)
    Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta)

  • Misc.:
    Garden Snail (Otala lactea)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Danaus gilippus  Queen
        Agraulis vanillae  Gulf Fritillary
      pieridae  Phoebis sennae  Cloudless Sulphur
      hesperiidae  Systasea pulverulenta  Texas Powdered-skipper
      noctuidae  Tripudia quadrifera  Moth
        Acontia cretata  Bird-dropping Moth
      geometridae  Lobocleta ossularia  Drab Brown Wave
      sphingidae  Erinnyis obscura  Obscure Sphinx
      crambidae  Uresiphita reversalis  Genista Caterpillar
        Lipocosmodes new species  Moth
      pyralidae  Peoria tetradella  Grass-veneer Moth
        Parachma ochracealis  Moth
      coleophoridae  Holcocera sp.  Moth
      xyloryctidae  Unknown sp.  Moth
      acrolophidae  Acrolophus cockerelli  Tubeworm Moth

    coleoptera  chrysomelidae  Asphaera lustrans  Flea Beetle
        Charidotella sexpunctata  Golden Tortoise Beetle
      coccinellidae  Scymnus sp.  Ladybird Beetle
      tenebrionidae  Eleodes goryi  Darkling Beetle
      curculionidae  Gerstaeckeria sp.  Weevil

    hemiptera  coreidae  Hypselonotus punctiventris  Coreid Bug
      reduviidae  Zelus renardii  Assassin Bug
      miridae  Engytatus modestus  Plant Bug
      lygaeidae  Oncopeltus fasciatus  Large Milkweed Bug
      pentatomidae  Banasa euchlora  Stink Bug

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Hymetta sp.  Leafhopper
        Neokolla uhleri  Leafhopper
        Illinigina illinoiensis  Leafhopper
        Unknown sp.  Leafhopper
      cicadidae  Tibicen texanus  Cicada
      cercopidae  Lepyronia quadrangularis  Spittlebug

    hymenoptera  apidae  Apis mellifera  Honey Bee
        Bombus pensylvanicus  American Bumble Bee
        Xylocopa virginica  Eastern Carpenter Bee
        Xylocopa micans  Southern Carpenter Bee
      halictidae  Unknown sp.  Green Sweat Bee
        Lasioglossum sp.  Sweat Bee
      vespidae  Polistes carolina  Red Wasp
        Polistes exclamans  Paper Wasp
      sphecidae  Sphex ichneumoneus  Great Golden Digger Wasp
        Prionyx sp.  Thread-waisted Wasp
      pompilidae  Pepsis sp.  Tarantula Hawk

    diptera  dolichopodidae  Unknown sp.  Long-legged Fly

    odonata  coenagrionidae  Ischnura ramburii  Rambur's Forktail
      aeshnidae  Anax junius  Common Green Darner
      libellulidae  Orthemis ferruginea  Roseate Skimmer
        Erythemis simplicicollis  Eastern Pondhawk
        Libellula croceipennis  Neon Skimmer
        Pachydiplax longipennis  Blue Dasher

    orthoptera  acrididae  Lactista aztecus  Aztec Bandwing (nymph)
        Chortophaga viridifasciata  Northern Green-striped Grasshopper
        Unknown sp.  Slant-faced Grasshopper (nymph)
        Melanoplus plebejus  Plebeian Grasshopper (nymph)
      tettigoniidae  Scudderia furcata  Fork-tailed Bush Katydid (nymph)

    mantodea  mantidae  Stagmomantis carolina  Carolina Mantis (nymph)

    araneae  salticidae  Phidippus arizonensis  Arizona Jumper
      oxyopidae  Peucetia viridans  Green Lynx

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