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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey May 17, 2012


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

The weather was hot and sunny as four volunteers conducted this week's survey. Some caterpillars alter their appearance very little as they grow between hatching and pupating. Others, however, change drastically as they molt and age. The prominent caterpillar (a kind of moth) shown below is one of these. The ornate "antlers" and spikes are only present on very tiny larvae.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Libellula croceipennis (neon skimmer, male)
photo by Val Bugh


Telebasis salva (desert firetail, male)
photo by Val Bugh


Enallagma civile (familiar bluet, female)
photo by Val Bugh


Argia plana (springwater dancer, male)
photo by Val Bugh


Cyclophora nanaria (dwarf tawny wave)
photo by Val Bugh


Scopula umbilicata (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Hileithia magualis (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Harrisina coracina (grapeleaf skeletonizer moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Homoeosoma electella (sunflower moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Lineodes interrupta (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Litodonta hydromeli (prominent larva, early instar)
photo by Val Bugh


Litodonta hydromeli (prominent larva, last instar)
photo by Val Bugh


Erynnis sp. (duskywing larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Lomamyia sp. (beaded lacewing)
photo by Val Bugh


Phlegyas annulicrus (seed bugs mating)
photo by Val Bugh


Centris atripes (digger bee)
photo by Val Bugh


Sphex lucae (digger wasp, male)
photo by Val Bugh


Sphex lucae (digger wasp, female)
photo by Val Bugh


Megaphasma denticrus (giant walkingstick, male)
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii)
    Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
    Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica)
    Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
    Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus)
    Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria)
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)

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

  • Reptiles:
    Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans)
    Texas Map Turtle (Graptemys versa)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Agraulis vanillae  Gulf Fritillary (adult & larva)
        Euptoieta claudia  Variegated Fritillary (adult & larva)
        Vanessa atalanta  Red Admiral
        Junonia coenia  Common Buckeye
        Phyciodes tharos  Pearl Crescent
        Danaus plexippus  Monarch
        Danaus gilippus  Queen
      pieridae  Eurema nicippe  Sleepy Orange
        Eurema lisa  Little Yellow
        Nathalis iole  Dainty Sulphur
      lycaenidae  Hemiargus isola  Reakirt's Blue
        Strymon melinus  Gray Hairstreak
        Atlides halesus  Great Purple Hairstreak
      papilionidae  Papilio polyxenes  Black Swallowtail (larva)
      hesperiidae  Pyrgus communis/albescens  Common Checkered-skipper
        Hylephila phyleus  Fiery Skipper
        Erynnis sp.  Duskywing (larva)
      noctuidae  Galgula partita  The Wedgling
        Spodoptera ornithogalli  Yellow-striped Armyworm (larva)
        Caenurgina erechtea  Forage Looper Moth
        Aon noctuiformis  Moth
      arctiidae  Estigmene acrea  Saltmarsh Moth
      notodontidae  Schizura errucata  Prominent
        Litodonta hydromeli  Prominent (larva)
      sphingidae  Hyles lineata  White-lined Sphinx (larva)
      geometridae  Lobocleta peralbata  White Wave
        Costaconvexa centrostrigaria  Bent-line Carpet
        Digrammia pallidata  Moth
        Anavitrinella atristrigaria  Gulf Coast Gray (adult & larva)
        Iridopsis defectaria  Brown-shaded Gray Moth
        Glena quinquelinearia  Five-lined Glena
        Scopula umbilicata  Moth
        Synchlora frondaria  Southern Emerald
        Eupithecia miserulata  Common Pug
        Prochoerodes lineola  Large Maple Spanworm Moth
        Cyclophora nanaria  Dwarf Tawny Wave
      saturniidae  Hyalophora cecropia  Cecropia Moth (larva)
      crambidae  Nomophila nearctica  Lucerne Moth
        Uresiphita reversalis  Genista Caterpillar Moth
        Lineodes interrupta  Moth
        Udea rubigalis  Celery Leaftier Moth
        Microtheoris ophionalis  Yellow-veined Moth
        Diastictis fracturalis  Moth
        Hileithia magualis  Moth
        Fissicrambus profanellus  Grass-veneer Moth
        Unknown sp.  Moth (larva)
      pyralidae  Homoeosoma electella  Sunflower Moth
        Melitara sp.  Cactus Borer Moth
        Laetilia coccidivora  Moth
      tortricidae  Sparganothis diluticostana  Spring Dead-leaf Roller Moth
        Eumarozia malachitana  Sculptured Moth
      prodoxidae  Prodoxus sp.  Bogus Yucca Moth
      zygaenidae  Harrisina coracina  Grapeleaf Skeletonizer Moth
      pterophoridae  Unknown sp.  Plume Moth
      ypsolophidae  Ypsolopha unicipunctella  Agarita Slug Moth
      acrolophidae  Acrolophus griseus  Tubeworm Moth
      oecophoridae  Depressariodes gracilis  Ambrosia Seed Moth
      gelechiidae  Deltophora glandiferella  Moth

    coleoptera  chrysomelidae  Diabrotica undecimpunctata  Spotted Cucumber Beetle
        Saxinis sinuata  Leaf Beetle
      coccinellidae  Coccinella septempunctata  Seven-spotted Ladybird
        Hippodamia convergens  Convergent Ladybird
      buprestidae  Acmaeodera ornatoides  Metallic Woodborer
      cerambycidae  Strangalia virilis  Flower Longhorn
        Moneilema armatum  Cactus Longhorn
      tenebrionidae  Eleodes goryi  Darkling Beetle
      carabidae  Pasimachus sp.  Ground Beetle

    hemiptera  miridae  Calocoris barberi  Plant Bug
      coreidae  Acanthocephala terminalis  Coreid Bug (nymph)
        Hypselonotus punctiventris  Coreid Bug
        Leptoglossus clypealis  Leaf-footed Bug
        Narnia femorata  Cactus Bug
        Chelinidea vittiger  Opuntia Bug (nymph)
      lygaeidae  Oncopeltus fasciatus  Large Milkweed Bug
        Lygaeus kalmii  Small Milkweed Bug
        Nysius sp.  False Chinch Bug
      pachygronthidae  Phlegyas annulicrus  Seed Bug
      reduviidae  Zelus renardii  Assassin Bug
      berytidae  Jalysus sp.  Stilt Bug
      cydnidae  Sehirus cinctus  Burrowing Bug
      pentatomidae  Euschistus obscurus  Stink Bug
        Euschistus quadrator  Stink Bug

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Homalodisca vitripennis  Glassy-winged Sharpshooter
        Cuerna costalis  Leafhopper
        Neokolla dolobrata  Leafhopper
        Graphocephala versuta  Leafhopper
        Trypanalebra maculata  Leafhopper
      issidae  Thionia acuta  Planthopper

    hymenoptera  apidae  Apis mellifera  Honey Bee
        Anthophora californica  Digger Bee
        Centris atripes  Digger Bee
      halictidae  Lasioglossum sp.  Sweat Bee
      megachilidae  Osmia ribifloris  Mason Bee
      sphecidae  Sphex ichneumoneus  Great Golden Digger Wasp
        Sphex lucae  Digger Wasp
      vespidae  Polistes exclamans  Paper Wasp
        Parazumia tolteca  Mason Wasp

    diptera  dolichopodidae  Unknown sp.  Long-legged Fly
      syrphidae  Copestylum marginatum  Flower Fly
        Toxomerus marginatus  Flower Fly
      culicidae  Aedes albopictus  Asian Tiger Mosquito
      bombyliidae  Hemipenthes sinuosa  Bee Fly
        Villa lateralis  Bee Fly
      stratiomyidae  Hermetia chrysopila  Soldier Fly
      asilidae  Atomosia puella  Robber Fly
        Polacantha sp.  Robber Fly
      tachinidae  Archytas sp.  Tachinid Fly

    odonata  coenagrionidae  Argia immunda  Kiowa Dancer
        Argia fumipennis  Variable Dancer
        Argia plana  Springwater Dancer
        Ischnura ramburii  Rambur's Forktail
        Telebasis salva  Desert Firetail
        Enallagma civile  Familiar Bluet
      libellulidae  Libellula croceipennis  Neon Skimmer
        Pachydiplax longipennis  Blue Dasher
        Erythemis simplicicollis  Eastern Pondhawk

    orthoptera  acrididae  Melanoplus flabellatus  Dallas Short-winged Grasshopper
        Schistocerca sp.  Bird Grasshopper (nymph)
      tettigoniidae  Dichopetala catinata  Spoon-tailed Short-winged Katydid
        Pediodectes nigromarginatus  Black-margined Shieldback (nymph)

    phasmatodea  diapheromeridae  Megaphasma denticrus  Giant Walkingstick

    blattodea  blattellidae  Pseudomops septentrionalis  Pale-bordered Field Cockroach

    neuroptera  berothidae  Lomamyia sp.  Beaded Lacewing

    trichoptera  philopotamidae  Chimarra sp.  Black Caddisfly
      hydropsychidae  Hydropsyche sp.  Net-spinning Caddisfly

    araneae  tetragnathidae  Tetragnatha laboriosa  Silver Long-jawed Orbweaver
      araneidae  Araneus bicentenarius  Giant Lichen Orbweaver
        Cyclosa turbinata  Trashline Orbweaver
      oecobiidae  Oecobius sp.  Wall Spider
      thomisidae  Mecaphesa sp.  Crab Spider

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