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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey November 15, 2012


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

Five volunteers participated in this week's survey under cool and mostly cloudy conditions, which kept flying insect numbers low but allowed mollusks to remain active. We found a pair of Garden Snails mating (see photo below), which looks sort of like a slow-motion wrestling match. These land snails are hermaphrodites, which means each animal is both male and female. They "shoot" love darts into each other (yes, REALLY), then both inseminate their partner. It all works very well, since there is no dearth of this species in the Gardens.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Alcaeorrhynchus grandis (predatory stink bug)
photo by Val Bugh


Copestylum tamaulipanum (flower fly)
photo by Val Bugh


Augochloropsis metallica (green sweat bee)
photo by Val Bugh


Lasioglossum sp. (sweat bee)
photo by Val Bugh


Protandrena sp. (bee)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (braconid wasp)
photo by Val Bugh


Arphia simplex (plains yellow-winged grasshopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Melanoplus femurrubrum (red-legged grasshopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Conocephalus strictus (straight-lanced meadow katydid, female)
photo by Val Bugh


Asphaera lustrans (flea beetle)
photo by Val Bugh


Antaeotricha lindseyi (bird-dropping moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Oenobotys texanalis (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Stenoptilodes sp. (plume moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Phyciodes phaon (phaon crescent)
photo by Val Bugh


Libytheana carinenta (American snout)
photo by Val Bugh


Atalopedes campestris (sachem)
photo by Val Bugh


Brephidium exile (western pygmy-blue)
photo by Val Bugh


Estigmene acrea (saltmarsh caterpillar)
photo by Val Bugh


Otala lactea (garden snails mating)
photo by Val Bugh


Thanatus sp. (running crab spider)
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus)
    Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)
    Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
    Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
    House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus)
    House Wren (Troglodytes aedon)
    Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria)
    Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
    Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus)
    White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys)
    White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus)
    White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)
    Yellow-throated Vireo (Vireo flavifrons)

  • Misc.:
    Garden Snail (Otala lactea)
    Sowbug (Porcellionides pruinosus)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Phyciodes phaon  Phaon Crescent
        Chlosyne lacinia  Bordered Patch
        Junonia coenia  Common Buckeye
        Vanessa atalanta  Red Admiral
        Agraulis vanillae  Gulf Fritillary (larva)
        Libytheana carinenta  American Snout
        Danaus gilippus  Queen
      pieridae  Eurema nicippe  Sleepy Orange
        Colias eurytheme  Orange Sulphur
        Nathalis iole  Dainty Sulphur
        Pontia protodice  Checkered White
      lycaenidae  Hemiargus ceraunus  Ceraunus Blue
        Hemiargus isola  Reakirt's Blue
        Brephidium exile  Western Pygmy-blue
        Strymon melinus  Gray Hairstreak
      hesperiidae  Pyrgus communis/albescens  Common/White Checkered-skipper
        Atalopedes campestris  Sachem
        Hylephila phyleus  Fiery Skipper
        Lerema accius  Clouded Skipper
      noctuidae  Megalographa biloba  Bilobed Looper Moth
        Mythimna unipuncta  Armyworm Moth
        Heliothis virescens  Tobacco Budworm (larva)
        Feltia subterranea  Subterranean Dart
      arctiidae  Estigmene acrea  Saltmarsh Moth (larva)
      geometridae  Digrammia pallidata  Moth
        Digrammia californiaria  Moth
        Chlorochlamys chloroleucaria  Blackberry Looper (larva)
      crambidae  Nomophila nearctica  Lucerne Moth
        Oenobotys texanalis  Moth
        Spoladea recurvalis  Hawaiian Beet Webworm Moth
        Diacme elealis  Moth
      elachistidae  Antaeotricha lindseyi  Bird-dropping Moth
      pterophoridae  Stenoptilodes sp.  Plume Moth
      coleophoridae  Blastobasis sp.  Moth
      gelechiidae  Deltophora glandiferella  Moth

    coleoptera  coccinellidae  Coccinella septempunctata  Seven-spotted Ladybird (adult, pupa & larva)
        Cycloneda sanguinea  Red Ladybird
        Harmonia axyridis  Multi-colored Asian Ladybird
      chrysomelidae  Diabrotica undecimpunctata  Spotted Cucumber Beetle
        Asphaera lustrans  Flea Beetle
      meloidae  Epicauta pennsylvanica  Blister Beetle

    hemiptera  coreidae  Leptoglossus phyllopus  Eastern Leaf-footed Bug (adult & nymph)
        Hypselonotus punctiventris  Coreid Bug
      alydidae  Hyalymenus tarsatus  Texas Bow-legged Bug (adult & nymph)
      rhopalidae  Niesthrea louisianica  Scentless Plant Bug
      lygaeidae  Lygaeus kalmii  Small Milkweed Bug
      miridae  Polymerus basalis  Plant Bug
        Halticotoma valida  Yucca Plant Bug
      reduviidae  Zelus renardii  Assassin Bug
      scutelleridae  Diolcus chrysorrhoeus  Shield Bug
      pentatomidae  Euschistus obscurus  Stink Bug
        Thyanta custator  Stink Bug
        Alcaeorrhynchus grandis  Predatory Stink Bug

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Neokolla uhleri  Leafhopper
        Homalodisca vitripennis  Glassy-winged Sharpshooter
      membracidae  Vanduzea sp.  Treehopper

    hymenoptera  apidae  Apis mellifera  Honey Bee
      andrenidae  Protandrena sp.  Bee
      halictidae  Augochloropsis metallica  Green Sweat Bee
        Lasioglossum sp.  Sweat Bee
      vespidae  Polistes carolina  Red Wasp
        Polistes exclamans  Paper Wasp
        Polistes fuscatus  Paper Wasp
        Euodynerus hidalgo  Mason Wasp
      braconidae  Unknown sp.  Braconid Wasp

    diptera  syrphidae  Allograpta obliqua  Flower Fly
        Eupeodes volucris  Flower Fly
        Palpada furcata  Flower Fly
        Copestylum marginatum  Black Flower Fly
        Copestylum tamaulipanum  Flower Fly
      anthomyiidae  Unknown sp.  Root Maggot Fly
      sarcophagidae  Unknown sp.  Flesh Fly
      tachinidae  Trichopoda pennipes  Feather-legged Fly

    odonata  libellulidae  Sympetrum corruptum  Variegated Meadowhawk

    orthoptera  acrididae  Schistocerca sp.  Bird Grasshopper (nymph)
        Schistocerca nitens  Gray Bird Grasshopper
        Melanoplus plebejus  Plebeian Grasshopper
        Melanoplus femurrubrum  Red-legged Grasshopper
        Chortophaga viridifasciata  Northern Green-striped Grasshopper
        Arphia simplex  Plains Yellow-winged Grasshopper
        Orphulella speciosa  Pasture Grasshopper
      tetrigidae  Paratettix mexicanus  Pygmy Grasshopper (nymph)
      tettigoniidae  Conocephalus strictus  Straight-lanced Meadow Katydid

    araneae  salticidae  Phidippus audax  Bold Jumper
      thomisidae  Mecaphesa sp.  Crab Spider
      philodromidae  Philodromus sp.  Running Crab Spider
        Thanatus sp.  Running Crab Spider
      oxyopidae  Peucetia viridans  Green Lynx
      lycosidae  Pardosa sp.  Wolf Spider

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