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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey August 27, 2011


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

A two-person team conducted this Saturday survey, during very hot and sunny conditions. One of the most unusual creatures we saw is barely visible in the photo of the Red Wasp shown below. There is a lump on the top near the rear end of the abdomen. This is caused by a Twisted-wing Parasite, an odd little insect that lives in the body of its host without killing it. If the Parasite is a male, it will eventually emerge as a winged adult. A female will remain in the wasp's body her whole life.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Xylocopa tabaniformis (large carpenter bee, stealing nectar)
photo by Val Bugh


Polistes carolina (red wasp, hosting twisted-wing parasite)
photo by Val Bugh


Brachynemurus sp. (antlion)
photo by Val Bugh


Euptilon sp. (antlion)
photo by Val Bugh


Chinavia hilare (green stink bug)
photo by Val Bugh


Euschistus quadrator (stink bug)
photo by Val Bugh


Niesthrea louisianica (scentless plant bug, eggs & nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (midge)
photo by Val Bugh


Neaspilota sp. (fruit fly)
photo by Val Bugh


Palpada vinetorum (flower fly)
photo by Val Bugh


Brachycoryna pumila (leaf beetles)
photo by Val Bugh


Schizura errucata (prominent)
photo by Val Bugh


Lobocleta peralbata (white wave)
photo by Val Bugh


Inga cretacea (chalky inga)
photo by Val Bugh


Aristotelia roseosuffusella (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Microtheoris vibicalis (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Papilio glaucus (eastern tiger swallowtail, black phase female)
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    Blue-gray gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea)
    Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)
    Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)

  • Mammals:
    Hispid Cotton Rat (Sigmodon hispidus)

  • Reptiles:
    Redstripe Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis proximus rubrilineatus)
    Texas Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus olivaceus)

  • Misc.:
    Striped Bark Scorpion (Centruroides vittatus)
    Mites (Leptus sp.)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Danaus gilippus  Queen
        Agraulis vanillae  Gulf Fritillary
        Asterocampa celtis  Hackberry Emperor
      pieridae  Phoebis sennae  Cloudless Sulphur
      lycaenidae  Callophrys gryneus  Juniper Hairstreak
      papilionidae  Papilio glaucus  Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
      hesperiidae  Hylephila phyleus  Fiery Skipper
      geometridae  Lobocleta ossularia  Drab Brown Wave
        Lobocleta peralbata  White Wave
      notodontidae  Schizura errucata  Prominent
      crambidae  Microtheoris vibicalis  Moth
        Lipocosmodes new species  Moth
      pyralidae  Alpheioides parvulalis  Moth
        Ephestiodes sp.  Moth
      coleophoridae  Blastobasis sp.  Moth
      oecophoridae  Inga cretacea  Chalky Inga
      coleophoridae  Aristotelia roseosuffusella  Moth

    coleoptera  chrysomelidae  Asphaera lustrans  Flea Beetle
        Brachycoryna pumila  Leaf Beetle
      cerambycidae  Oeme rigida  Long-horned Beetle

    hemiptera  coreidae  Acanthocephala terminalis  Coreid Bug (adult & egg)
        Hypselonotus punctiventris  Coreid Bug
      rhopalidae  Niesthrea louisianica  Scentless Plant Bug (eggs, nymph & adult)
      lygaeidae  Oncopeltus fasciatus  Large Milkweed Bug
      pentatomidae  Chinavia hilare  Green Stink Bug
        Euschistus quadrator  Stink Bug

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Hymetta sp.  Leafhopper
        Homalodisca vitripennis  Glassy-winged Sharpshooter
      kermesidae  Unknown sp.  Gall-like Scale

    hymenoptera  apidae  Apis mellifera  Honey Bee
        Bombus pensylvanicus  American Bumble Bee
        Xylocopa micans  Southern Carpenter Bee
        Xylocopa tabaniformis  Large Carpenter Bee
      halictidae  Unknown sp.  Green Sweat Bee
      megachilidae  Megachile sp.  Leaf-cutter Bee
        Dianthidium sp.  Leaf-cutter Bee
      vespidae  Polistes carolina  Red Wasp
        Polistes exclamans  Paper Wasp
      sphecidae  Sceliphron caementarium  Yellow-and-black Mud Dauber
        Chalybion sp.  Blue Mud Dauber
        Sphex ichneumoneus  Great Golden Digger Wasp

    diptera  dolichopodidae  Unknown sp.  Long-legged Fly
      bombyliidae  Geron sp.  Bee Fly
        Poecilanthrax lucifer  Bee Fly
      asilidae  Efferia sp.  Robber Fly
      syrphidae  Palpada vinetorum  Flower Fly
      tephritidae  Neaspilota sp.  Fruit Fly
      lauxaniidae  Neodeceia sp.  Lauxaniid Fly
      culicidae  Aedes albopictus  Asian Tiger Mosquito
      chironomidae  Unknown sp.  Midge

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

    orthoptera  acrididae  Lactista aztecus  Aztec Bandwing
        Melanoplus sp.  Spur-throated Grasshopper (nymph)
        Schistocerca obscura  Obscure Bird Grasshopper
      tettigoniidae  Scudderia furcata  Fork-tailed Bush Katydid (nymph)

    mantodea  mantidae  Stagmomantis carolina  Carolina Mantis

    neuroptera  myrmeleontidae  Brachynemurus sp.  Antlion
        Euptilon sp.  Antlion

    strepsiptera  stylopidae  Unknown sp.  Twisted-wing Parasite

    araneae  oxyopidae  Peucetia viridans  Green Lynx

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