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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey April 26, 2012


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

Our five participants enjoyed mostly cloudy warm weather during this week's survey. Caterpillars can sometimes have a very hard life. The Monarch shown below was harrassed by a tiny parasitic wasp which caused the caterpillar to twitch and jerk around. The Yellow-striped Armyworm (also pictured below) had it even worse; it not only had a large cluster of wasp larvae feeding on it, but there were also four tachinid fly eggs. The maggots that hatch out of those eggs will feed internally on their victim.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Palpita quadristigmalis (four-spotted palpita)
photo by Val Bugh


Uresiphita reversalis (genista caterpillar moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Battaristis sp. (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Hyalophora cecropia (Cecropia moth larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Hyles lineata (white-lined sphinx larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Danaus plexippus (monarch larva
preparing to pupate, with parasitic wasp)
photo by Val Bugh


Spodoptera ornithogalli (yellow-striped armyworm with wasp larvae
& tachinid fly eggs)
photo by Val Bugh


Eupithecia miserulata (common pug larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Phidippus carolinensis (Carolina jumper)
photo by Val Bugh


Argia immunda (Kiowa dancer)
photo by Val Bugh


Cylas formicarius (sweet potato weevil)
photo by Val Bugh


Anthonomus fulvus (weevil covered with pollen)
photo by Val Bugh


Rivellia sp. (signal fly)
photo by Val Bugh


Calocoris barberi (plant bug, newly molted and with normal coloring)
photo by Val Bugh


Mecidea major (grass stink bug)
photo by Val Bugh


Spissistilus sp. (treehopper, color variations)
photo by Val Bugh


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


Dichopetala catinata (spoon-tailed short-winged katydid nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Crematogaster sp. (acrobat ants feeding on sap)
photo by Val Bugh


Polistes bellicosus (paper wasp)
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii)
    Cave Swallow (Petrochelidon fulva)
    Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)
    Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii)
    Crested Caracara (Caracara cheriway)
    Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
    Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus), adult & nestling
    Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus)
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)

  • Mammals:
    Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)
    Roof Rat (Rattus rattus), being eaten by rattlesnake

  • Reptiles & Amphibians:
    Western Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox), eating roof rat
    Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis)
    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, pupa & larva)
        Polygonia interrogationis  Question Mark
        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 & larva)
        Colias eurytheme  Orange Sulphur
        Eurema nicippe  Sleepy Orange (larva)
        Nathalis iole  Dainty Sulphur (adult & larva)
        Phoebis sennae  Cloudless Sulphur
      lycaenidae  Strymon melinus  Gray Hairstreak
        Satyrium favonius  Oak Hairstreak
        Hemiargus isola  Reakirt's Blue
      hesperiidae  Pyrgus communis/albescens  Common Checkered-skipper
        Erynnis funeralis  Funereal Duskywing
      noctuidae  Peridroma saucia  Variegated Cutworm (larva)
        Hypena scabra  Green Cloverworm Moth
        Galgula partita  The Wedgling
        Alypia octomaculata  Eight-spotted Forester (larva)
        Himella fidelis  Faithful Quaker (larva)
        Spodoptera ornithogalli  Yellow-striped Armyworm (adult & larva)
        Zale lunata  Lunate Zale
        Unknown sp.  Looper (larva)
        Tarache tetragona  Four-spotted Bird Dropping Moth
        Heliothis virescens  Tobacco Budworm (larva)
      notodontidae  Schizura errucata  Prominent
      geometridae  Nemoria zygotaria  Emerald
        Costaconvexa centrostrigaria  Bent-line Carpet
        Iridopsis defectaria  Brown-shaded Gray Moth
        Iridopsis gemella  Moth
        Anavitrinella atristrigaria  Gulf Coast Gray
        Rindgea nigricomma  Moth
        Glena quinquelinearia  Five-lined Glena
        Eupithecia miserulata  Common Pug (larva)
        Eupithecia longidens  Pug
      saturniidae  Hyalophora cecropia  Cecropia Moth (larva)
      sphingidae  Hyles lineata  White-lined Sphinx (larva)
      crambidae  Palpita quadristigmalis  Four-spotted Palpita
        Mimoschinia rufofascialis  Moth
        Uresiphita reversalis  Genista Caterpillar Moth (adult & larva)
        Nomophila nearctica  Lucerne Moth
        Lipocosma polingi  Moth
        Lineodes interrupta  Moth
        Microcrambus croesus  Grass-veneer Moth
      pyralidae  Arta epicoenalis  Moth
        Homoeosoma electella  Sunflower Moth
      tortricidae  Pseudexentera knudsoni  Leafroller Moth
      elachistidae  Ethmia sp.  Ethmia Moth (larva)
      acrolophidae  Acrolophus mortipennella  Tubeworm Moth
        Acrolophus texanella  Tubeworm Moth
      gelechiidae  Syncopacma adversa  Moth
        Battaristis sp.  Moth
        Isophrictis similiella  Moth
      xyloryctidae  Scythris fuscicomella  Moth

    coleoptera  chrysomelidae  Diabrotica undecimpunctata  Spotted Cucumber Beetle
        Asphaera lustrans  Flea Beetle
        Cryptocephalus notatus  Leaf Beetle
        Pachybrachis turbidus  Leaf Beetle
        Brachypnoea lecontei  Leaf Beetle
        Brachycoryna pumila  Leaf Beetle
      coccinellidae  Coccinella septempunctata  Seven-spotted Ladybird (adult & pupa)
        Hippodamia convergens  Convergent Ladybird
      cerambycidae  Knulliana cincta  Banded Hickory Borer
      buprestidae  Acmaeodera ornatoides  metallic Woodborer
      mordellidae  Mordellistena cervicalis  Tumbling Flower Beetle
      melyridae  Attalus rufiventris  Soft-winged Flower Beetle
      dermestidae  Cryptorhopalum sp.  Dermestid Beetle
      scarabaeidae  Diplotaxis sp.  Scarab
      carabidae  Carabus sylvosus  Ground Beetle
      anthribidae  Trigonorhinus limbatus  Fungus Weevil
      brentidae  Cylas formicarius  Sweet Potato Weevil
      curculionidae  Sphenophorus sp.  Weevil
        Hypera postica  Weevil
        Anthonomus fulvus  Weevil

    hemiptera  miridae  Calocoris barberi  Plant Bug (adult & nymph)
        Oncerometopus nigriclavus  Plant Bug
        Prepops sp.  Plant Bug
        Halticotoma sp.  Yucca Plant Bug
      reduviidae  Zelus renardii  Assassin Bug (nymph)
      coreidae  Narnia femorata  Cactus Bug (nymph)
      lygaeidae  Oncopeltus fasciatus  Large Milkweed Bug
        Lygaeus kalmii  Small Milkweed Bug
      alydidae  Hyalymenus tarsatus  Texas Bow-legged Bug
      tingidae  Corythucha sp.  Lace Bug
      cydnidae  Sehirus cinctus  Burrowing Bug
      pentatomidae  Hymenarcys nervosa  Stink Bug
        Mecidea major  Grass Stink Bug

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Homalodisca sp.  Sharpshooter (nymph)
        Cuerna costalis  Leafhopper (nymph)
        Texananus ovatus  Leafhopper
      cercopidae  Unknown sp.  Spittlebug (nymph)
        Prosapia bicincta  Two-lined Spittlebug
      membracidae  Ophiderma sp.  Treehopper
        Spissistilus sp.  Treehopper
      cixiidae  Oliarus sp.  Planthopper
      issidae  Dictyonissus griphus  Planthopper (nymph)

    hymenoptera  apidae  Apis mellifera  Honey Bee
        Xylocopa virginica  Eastern Carpenter Bee
        Melissodes sp.  Digger Bee
      halictidae  Lasioglossum sp.  Sweat Bee
        Augochloropsis metallica  Green Sweat Bee
      sphecidae  Sphex ichneumoneus  Great Golden Digger Wasp
      vespidae  Polistes bellicosus  Paper Wasp
      pompilidae  Pepsis sp.  Spider Wasp
      eulophidae  Euplectrus spp.  Wasp (larva & pupa)
      formicidae  Camponotus sp.  Carpenter Ant
        Crematogaster sp.  Acrobat Ant
      tenthredinidae  Unknown sp.  Common Sawfly (larva)

    diptera  dolichopodidae  Unknown sp.  Long-legged Fly
      tipulidae  Tipula sp.  Crane Fly
      platystomatidae  Rivellia sp.  Signal Fly
      syrphidae  Allograpta obliqua  Flower Fly
        Toxomerus marginatus  Flower Fly
      sarcophagidae  Unknown sp.  Flesh Fly
      tachinidae  Archytas sp.  Tachinid Fly
        Unknown sp.  Tachinid Fly (egg)

    odonata  coenagrionidae  Argia immunda  Kiowa Dancer
        Telebasis salva  Desert Firetail
        Ischnura ramburii  Rambur's Forktail
      libellulidae  Libellula croceipennis  Neon Skimmer

    orthoptera  acrididae  Eritettix abortivus  Texas Short-winged Slant-faced Grasshopper
        Paraidemona sp.  Spur-throated Grasshopper
        Unknown sp.  Spur-throated Grasshopper (nymph)
      tettigoniidae  Arethaea ambulator  Walking Thread-legged Katydid
        Scudderia furcata  Fork-tailed Bush Katydid (nymph)
        Dichopetala catinata  Spoon-tailed Short-winged Katydid (nymph)
        Paracyrtophyllus robustus  Truncated True Katydid (nymph)

    neuroptera  chrysopidae  Chrysoperla sp.  Green Lacewing
        Unknown sp.  Green Lacewing (egg)

    raphidioptera  raphidiidae  Agulla bicolor  Snakefly

    trichoptera  philopotamidae  Chimarra sp.  Black Caddisfly

    araneae  tetragnathidae  Tetragnatha laboriosa  Silver Long-jawed Orbweaver
      salticidae  Phidippus carolinensis  Carolina Jumper
      araneidae  Neoscona arabesca  Arabesque Orbweaver
      unknown family  Unknown sp.  Spider Egg Sac
      lycosidae  Rabidosa rabida  Rabid Wolf Spider

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