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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey April 19, 2012


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

The weather was sunny, breezy and warm as five volunteers conducted this week's survey. Although katydids are rarely seen mating (they seem to do so during the night), the female often bears evidence the next morning. As can be seen in the photo below, the male provides a large spermatophore which looks like a white glob. Part of it contains a sperm packet which is inserted into the female, but the rest is a nutritious gel that the female will consume to help with egg production.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Rana berlandieri (Rio Grande leopard frog -
its tadpole tail is almost completely absorbed!)
photo by Val Bugh


Mangora gibberosa (orbweaver)
photo by Val Bugh


Argia plana (springwater dancers ovipositing in tandem)
photo by Val Bugh


Lygaeus kalmii (small milkweed bug nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Arethaea ambulator (walking thread-legged katydid female with spermatophore attached)
photo by Val Bugh


Paracyrtophyllus robustus (truncated true katydid nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


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


Cryptocephalus notatus (leaf beetles mating)
photo by Val Bugh


Typocerus sinuatus (flower longhorn)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (geometrid moth larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Lycia ypsilon (woolly gray larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Pontia protodice (checkered white larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Pontia protodice (checkered white pupa)
photo by Val Bugh


Pontia protodice (checkered white, female)
photo by Val Bugh


Satyrium favonius (oak hairstreak)
photo by Val Bugh


Vanessa virginiensis (American lady)
photo by Val Bugh


Myelopsis minutularia (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Eupithecia miserulata (common pug)
photo by Val Bugh


Adaina ambrosiae (ambrosia plume moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Litodonta hydromeli (prominent)
photo by Val Bugh


Nemoria zygotaria (emerald)
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)
    Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
    Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus), nestlings
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
    Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)

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

  • Reptiles & Amphibians:
    Redstripe Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis proximus rubrilineatus)
    Rio Grande Leopard Frog (Rana berlandieri)

  • Misc.:
    Harvestman (Unknown sp.)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Vanessa atalanta  Red Admiral
        Vanessa cardui  Painted Lady (adult & larva)
        Vanessa virginiensis  American Lady
        Euptoieta claudia  Variegated Fritillary (adult & larva)
        Agraulis vanillae  Gulf Fritillary (adult, pupa & larva)
        Asterocampa clyton  Tawny Emperor
        Junonia coenia  Common Buckeye (adult & larva)
        Danaus plexippus  Monarch (adult & larva)
        Danaus gilippus  Queen
      pieridae  Pontia protodice  Checkered White (adult, pupa & larva)
        Colias eurytheme  Orange Sulphur (adult & larva)
        Eurema nicippe  Sleepy Orange (adult & larva)
        Nathalis iole  Dainty Sulphur
      papilionidae  Battus philenor  Pipevine Swallowtail
      lycaenidae  Strymon melinus  Gray Hairstreak
        Satyrium favonius  Oak Hairstreak
        Hemiargus isola  Reakirt's Blue
      hesperiidae  Pyrgus communis/albescens  Common Checkered-skipper
      noctuidae  Peridroma saucia  Variegated Cutworm (larva)
        Hypena scabra  Green Cloverworm Moth (adult & larva)
        Galgula partita  The Wedgling
        Caenurgina erechtea  Forage Looper Moth
        Acronicta rubricoma  Ruddy Dagger (larva)
        Abrostola microvalis  Moth
        Alypia octomaculata  Eight-spotted Forester (larva)
        Chrysodeixis includens  Soybean Looper (larva)
        Rachiplusia ou  Gray Looper Moth
        Cucullia laetifica  Cucullia laetifica (larva)
        Spodoptera ornithogalli  Yellow-striped Armyworm (larva)
        Zale lunata  Lunate Zale
        Zale lunifera  Bold-based Zale
        Plusiodonta compressipalpis  Moonseed Moth
        Tarache tetragona  Four-spotted Bird Dropping Moth
        Heliothis virescens  Tobacco Budworm (larva)
      notodontidae  Litodonta hydromeli  Prominent
      geometridae  Nemoria zygotaria  Emerald
        Digrammia atrofasciata  Moth
        Digrammia pallidata  Moth
        Lycia ypsilon  Woolly Gray (larva)
        Unknown sp.  Inchworm (larva)
        Costaconvexa centrostrigaria  Bent-line Carpet
        Iridopsis defectaria  Brown-shaded Gray Moth
        Pleuroprucha insulsaria  Common Tan Wave
        Anavitrinella atristrigaria  Gulf Coast Gray
        Cyclophora nanaria  Dwarf Tawny Wave
        Lobocleta ossularia  Drab Brown Wave
        Orthonama obstipata  The Gem
        Eupithecia miserulata  Common Pug
        Nematocampa resistaria  Horned Spanworm Moth
        Tornos scolopacinaria  Moth
      saturniidae  Hyalophora cecropia  Cecropia Moth (larva)
      crambidae  Urola nivalis  Snowy Urola
        Udea rubigalis  Celery Leaftier Moth
        Uresiphita reversalis  Genista Caterpillar Moth (adult & larva)
        Nomophila nearctica  Lucerne Moth
        Euchromius ocelleus  Grass-veneer Moth
        Petrophila jaliscalis  Moth
        Diastictis facturalis  Moth
        Microcrambus croesus  Grass-veneer Moth
      pyralidae  Parachma ochracealis  Moth
        Arta sp.  Moth
        Galasa nigrinodis  Boxwood Leaftier Moth
        Myelopsis minutularia  Moth
      tortricidae  Archips georgiana  Leafroller Moth
      pterophoridae  Adaina ambrosiae  Ambrosia Plume Moth
      acrolophidae  Acrolophus mortipennella  Tubeworm Moth
      oecophoridae  Inga cretacea  Chalky Inga
      sphingidae  Hyles lineata  White-lined Sphinx (larva)
      gelechiidae  Anacampsis paltodoriella  Moth
        Stegasta bosqueella  Red-necked Peanutworm Moth
        Isophrictis rudbeckiella  Moth
      xyloryctidae  Scythris fuscicomella  Moth

    coleoptera  chrysomelidae  Diabrotica undecimpunctata  Spotted Cucumber Beetle
        Systena hudsonias  Flea Beetle
        Cryptocephalus notatus  Leaf Beetle
      coccinellidae  Coccinella septempunctata  Seven-spotted Ladybird
        Hippodamia convergens  Convergent Ladybird (adult, pupa, & larva)
      cerambycidae  Typocerus sinuatus  Flower Longhorn
      buprestidae  Acmaeodera ornatoides  metallic Woodborer
        Acmaeodera neglecta  Metallic Woodborer
      mordellidae  Mordellistena cervicalis  Tumbling Flower Beetle

    hemiptera  miridae  Taedia sp.  Plant Bug
        Neurocolpus sp.  Plant Bug
        Oncerometopus nigriclavus  Plant Bug (adult & nymph)
        Metriorrhynchomiris dislocatus   Plant Bug
        Phytocoris sp.  Plant Bug
      reduviidae  Apiomerus spissipes  Bee Assassin
      coreidae  Leptoglossus clypealis  Leaf-footed Bug (nymph)
      lygaeidae  Oncopeltus fasciatus  Large Milkweed Bug
        Lygaeus kalmii  Small Milkweed Bug (nymph)

    homoptera  aphididae  Unknown sp.  Aphid
      cercopidae  Unknown sp.  Spittlebug (nymph)

    hymenoptera  apidae  Apis mellifera  Honey Bee
        Xylocopa parkinsoniae  Large Carpenter Bee
        Melissodes sp.  Digger Bee
      andrenidae  Protandrena sp.  Mining Bee
      eulophidae  Euplectrus sp.  Wasp (pupa)

    diptera  dolichopodidae  Unknown sp.  Long-legged Fly
      bombyliidae  Poecilanthrax lucifer  Bee Fly
      tipulidae  Tipula sp.  Crane Fly
      platystomatidae  Rivellia sp.  Signal Fly
      syrphidae  Copestylum marginatum  Flower Fly
        Copestylum avidum  Flower Fly
        Toxomerus marginatus  Flower Fly
      asilidae  Efferia sp.  Robber Fly
      stratiomyidae  Hermetia chrysopila  Soldier Fly
      tachinidae  Archytas sp.  Tachinid Fly

    odonata  coenagrionidae  Argia plana  Springwater Dancer
        Argia immunda  Kiowa Dancer
        Ischnura ramburii  Rambur's Forktail
      lestidae  Lestes australis  Southern Spreadwing
      libellulidae  Libellula croceipennis  Neon Skimmer

    orthoptera  acrididae  Mermiria sp.  Slant-faced Grasshopper (nymph)
        Paraidemona sp.  Spur-throated Grasshopper
        Arphia simplex  Plains Yellow-winged Grasshopper
      tettigoniidae  Arethaea ambulator  Walking Thread-legged Katydid
        Dichopetala catinata  Spoon-tailed Short-winged Katydid (nymph)
        Paracyrtophyllus robustus  Truncated True Katydid (nymph)

    thysanoptera  aeolothripidae  Aeolothrips sp.  Predatory Thrips

    psocoptera  psocidae  Unknown sp.  Barklouse

    araneae  tetragnathidae  Tetragnatha laboriosa  Silver Long-jawed Orbweaver
      thomisidae  Mecaphesa sp.  Crab Spider
      araneidae  Mangora gibberosa  Orbweaver

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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey April 19, 2012