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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey December 13, 2012


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

Four participants enjoyed splendid weather for this final survey of 2012; the morning began with temperatures at freezing but quickly warmed up in the sunshine. We occasionally find the shed skins of snakes. This time we found a perfect example (see below) that even preserved a hint of the living animal's coloration. When snakes shed, the outer epidermal layer loosens, splits at the mouth, and the reptile then wiggles and rubs it off, frequently leaving the entire skin intact but inside-out.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


hoarfrost on bluebonnet leaf
photo by Val Bugh


Aon noctuiformis (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Hemiargus isola (Reakirt's blue larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Chlorostrymon simaethis (silver-banded hairstreak)
photo by Val Bugh


Danaus gilippus (queen, male)
photo by Val Bugh


Euptoieta claudia (variegated fritillary)
photo by Val Bugh


Agraulis vanillae (gulf fritillary, female)
photo by Val Bugh


Apis mellifera (honey bee)
photo by Val Bugh


Sternidius mimeticus (long-horned beetle)
photo by Val Bugh


Coccinella septempunctata (seven-spotted ladybird larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Gonia sp. (tachinid fly)
photo by Val Bugh


Eupeodes volucris (flower fly)
photo by Val Bugh


Camptoprosopella sp. (lauxaniid fly)
photo by Val Bugh


Eritettix abortivus (Texas short-winged slant-faced grasshopper nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Panorpa nuptialis (scorpionfly, female)
photo by Val Bugh


Chinavia hilare (green stink bug)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (harvestman)
photo by Val Bugh


Salvadora grahamiae lineata (Texas patchnose snake, shed skin)
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)
    Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus)
    Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)
    Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
    House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus)
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
    Western Scrub-jay (Aphelocoma californica)
    White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys)
    White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)

  • Mammals:
    Hispid Cotton Rat (Sigmodon hispidus)
    Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)
    Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)

  • Reptiles:
    Texas Patchnose Snake (Salvadora grahamiae lineata), shed skin

  • Misc.:
    Harvestman (Unknown sp.)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Phyciodes phaon  Phaon Crescent
        Junonia coenia  Common Buckeye
        Vanessa virginiensis  American Lady
        Vanessa atalanta  Red Admiral
        Agraulis vanillae  Gulf Fritillary
        Euptoieta claudia  Variegated Fritillary
        Libytheana carinenta  American Snout
        Danaus gilippus  Queen
      pieridae  Eurema nicippe  Sleepy Orange
        Eurema lisa  Little Yellow
        Colias eurytheme  Orange Sulphur
        Nathalis iole  Dainty Sulphur
      lycaenidae  Hemiargus ceraunus  Ceraunus Blue
        Hemiargus isola  Reakirt's Blue (adult & larva)
        Leptotes marina  Marine Blue
        Chlorostrymon simaethis  Silver-banded Hairstreak
      hesperiidae  Pyrgus communis/albescens  Common/White Checkered-skipper
        Hylephila phyleus  Fiery Skipper
      noctuidae  Aon noctuiformis  Moth

    coleoptera  coccinellidae  Coccinella septempunctata  Seven-spotted Ladybird (adult & larva)
        Cycloneda sanguinea  Red Ladybird
      chrysomelidae  Diabrotica undecimpunctata  Spotted Cucumber Beetle
        Asphaera lustrans  Flea Beetle
      cerambycidae  Sternidius mimeticus  Long-horned Beetle
      tenebrionidae  Eleodes goryi  Darkling Beetle

    hemiptera  miridae  Polymerus basalis  Plant Bug
        Halticotoma valida  Yucca Plant Bug
      pentatomidae  Chinavia hilare  Green Stink Bug (adult & nymph)
        Thyanta custator  Stink Bug

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Neokolla dolobrata  Leafhopper
        Cuerna costalis  Leafhopper (nymph)

    hymenoptera  apidae  Apis mellifera  Honey Bee
      halictidae  Halictus sp.  Sweat Bee
        Unknown sp.  Green Sweat Bee
      vespidae  Polistes exclamans  Paper Wasp
        Polistes carolina  Red Wasp
        Eumenes bollii  Potter Wasp

    diptera  syrphidae  Dioprosopa clavata  Flower Fly
        Copestylum tamaulipanum  Flower Fly
        Eupeodes volucris  Flower Fly
        Allograpta obliqua  Flower Fly
      lauxaniidae  Camptoprosopella sp.  Lauxaniid Fly
      sarcophagidae  Unknown sp.  Flesh Fly
      anthomyiidae  Unknown sp.  Root Maggot Fly
      calliphoridae  Cynomya cadaverina  Bluebottle Fly
      sepsidae  Unknown sp.  Black Scavenger Fly
      tachinidae  Gonia sp.  Tachinid Fly

    odonata  libellulidae  Sympetrum sp.  Meadowhawk

    orthoptera  acrididae  Melanoplus plebejus  Plebeian Grasshopper
        Chortophaga viridifasciata  Northern Green-striped Grasshopper (nymph)
        Eritettix abortivus  Texas Short-winged Slant-faced Grasshopper (nymph)

    mecoptera  panorpidae  Panorpa nuptialis  Scorpionfly

    araneae  thomisidae  Mecaphesa sp.  Crab Spider
      anyphaenidae  Hibana sp.  Ghost Spider
      oxyopidae  Oxyopes salticus  Striped Lynx
      araneidae  Argiope aurantia  Black and Yellow Garden Spider (eggs)

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