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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey May 24, 2012


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

Although it was warm, our five participants enjoyed mostly overcast skies and a stiff breeze during this week's survey. One of the more unusual sightings was a Greater Wax Moth, a species with worldwide distribution. The caterpillars feed on the wax in Honey Bee nests. They are commercially available for such uses as food for pet lizards and turtles, fishing bait, and substitutes for small mammals in biological testing and research.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Papilio polyxenes (black swallowtail)
photo by Val Bugh


Asterocampa celtis (hackberry emperor)
photo by Val Bugh


Hylephila phyleus (fiery skipper)
photo by Val Bugh


Microcrambus croesus (grass-veneer moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Aethiophysa lentiflualis (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Galleria mellonella (greater wax moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Cudonigera houstonana (juniper budworm moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Aon noctuiformis (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Hemaris diffinis (snowberry clearwing)
photo by Val Bugh


Bagisara rectifascia (moth larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Euplectrus sp. (wasp emerging from cocoon on dead caterpillar)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (spider mites)
photo by Val Bugh


Aedes albopictus (Asian tiger mosquito)
photo by Val Bugh


Promachus hinei (robber fly eating ichneumon)
photo by Val Bugh


Pseudomops septentrionalis (pale-bordered field cockroaches mating)
photo by Val Bugh


Froeschneria piligera (seed bug)
photo by Val Bugh


Pseudatomoscelis seriatus (cotton flea hopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Hesperolabops gelastops (cactus plant bug)
photo by Val Bugh


Neokolla sp. (leafhopper nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Dictyonissus griphus (issid planthopper)
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii)
    Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus)
    Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)
    Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
    Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor)
    Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus)
    Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria)
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
    Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris)
    Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)
    White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)

  • Mammals:
    Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)
    Hispid Cotton Rat (Sigmodon hispidus)

  • Reptiles:
    Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans)
    Redstripe Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis proximus rubrilineatus)
    Texas Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus olivaceus)

  • Misc.:
    Polydesmid Millipede (Unknown sp.)
    Spider Mite (Unknown sp.)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Agraulis vanillae  Gulf Fritillary (adult, pupa & larva)
        Euptoieta claudia  Variegated Fritillary
        Vanessa atalanta  Red Admiral
        Vanessa cardui  Painted Lady
        Vanessa virginiensis  American Lady
        Junonia coenia  Common Buckeye (adult & larva)
        Asterocampa celtis  Hackberry Emperor
        Danaus plexippus  Monarch
        Danaus gilippus  Queen
      pieridae  Eurema nicippe  Sleepy Orange
        Eurema lisa  Little Yellow
        Nathalis iole  Dainty Sulphur
        Phoebis sennae  Cloudless Sulphur (larva)
      lycaenidae  Hemiargus isola  Reakirt's Blue
        Atlides halesus  Great Purple Hairstreak
      papilionidae  Papilio polyxenes  Black Swallowtail (adult & larva)
      hesperiidae  Hylephila phyleus  Fiery Skipper
        Erynnis sp.  Duskywing (larva)
      noctuidae  Catocala amica  Girlfriend Underwing
        Bagisara rectifascia  Moth (larva)
        Eubolina impartialis  Moth
        Aon noctuiformis  Moth
      arctiidae  Estigmene acrea  Saltmarsh Caterpillar (larva)
        Cisseps fulvicollis  Yellow-collared Scape Moth
      notodontidae  Schizura errucata  Prominent
      sphingidae  Hyles lineata  White-lined Sphinx (larva)
        Hemaris diffinis  Snowberry Clearwing (adult & larva)
      geometridae  Lobocleta ossularia  Drab Brown Wave
        Costaconvexa centrostrigaria  Bent-line Carpet
        Unknown sp.  Inchworm (larva)
        Eupithecia miserulata  Common Pug (adult & larva)
        Anavitrinella atristrigaria  Gulf Coast Gray
        Cyclophora nanaria  Dwarf Tawny Wave
      saturniidae  Hyalophora cecropia  Cecropia Moth (larva & pupa)
      crambidae  Uresiphita reversalis  Genista Caterpillar Moth
        Aethiophysa lentiflualis  Moth
        Lipocosma polingi  Moth
        Microcrambus croesus  Moth
      pyralidae  Homoeosoma electella  Sunflower Moth
        Galleria mellonella  Greater Wax Moth
      tortricidae  Cudonigera houstonana  Juniper Budworm Moth
        Eumarozia malachitana  Sculptured Moth
      lacturidae  Lactura sp.  Moth
      acrolophidae  Acrolophus griseus  Tubeworm Moth
        Acrolophus texanella  Tubeworm Moth

    coleoptera  chrysomelidae  Diabrotica undecimpunctata  Spotted Cucumber Beetle
        Kuschelina petaurista  Flea Beetle
        Pachybrachis turbidus  Leaf Beetle
      coccinellidae  Coccinella septempunctata  Seven-spotted Ladybird
        Hippodamia convergens  Convergent Ladybird
      buprestidae  Acmaeodera ornatoides  Metallic Woodborer
      cerambycidae  Strangalia virilis  Flower Longhorn
        Hemierana marginata  Long-horned Beetle
      tenebrionidae  Eleodes goryi  Darkling Beetle
      scarabaeidae  Euphoria kernii  Flower Scarab
      attelabidae  Homoeolabus analis  Oak Leaf Roller (leaf rolls)

    hemiptera  miridae  Polymeris basalis  Plant Bug
        Hesperolabops gelastops  Cactus Plant Bug
        Pseudatomoscelis seriatus  Cotton Flea Hopper (adult & nymph)
      coreidae  Acanthocephala terminalis  Coreid Bug (nymph)
        Leptoglossus clypealis  Leaf-footed Bug
        Narnia femorata (adult & nymph)  Cactus Bug
        Chelinidea vittiger  Opuntia Bug (adult & nymph)
        Chelinidea tabulata  Opuntia Bug (adult & nymph)
      lygaeidae  Lygaeus kalmii  Small Milkweed Bug
      rhyparochromidae  Froeschneria piligera  Seed Bug
      pachygronthidae  Phlegyas annulicrus  Seed Bug
      rhopalidae  Niesthrea louisianica  Scentless Plant Bug
      reduviidae  Zelus renardii  Assassin Bug
      nabidae  Unknown sp.  Damsel Bug (nymph)
      cydnidae  Sehirus cinctus  Burrowing Bug
      pentatomidae  Thyanta custator  Stink Bug (nymph)

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Homalodisca vitripennis  Glassy-winged Sharpshooter
        Cuerna costalis  Leafhopper
        Neokolla dolobrata  Leafhopper
        Neokolla sp.  Leafhopper (nymph)
        Erythroneura vulnerata  Leafhopper
        Texananus excultus  Leafhopper
        Hymetta sp.  Leafhopper
        Illinigina illinoiensis  Leafhopper
      issidae  Dictyonissus griphus  Planthopper
      flatidae  Ormenis sp.  Planthopper
      cercopidae  Unknown sp.  Spittlebug (nymph)
      coccidae  Unknown sp.  Scale
      cicadidae  Tibicen superbus  Superb Cicada
        Unknown sp.  Cicada (exuviae)

    hymenoptera  apidae  Apis mellifera  Honey Bee
        Anthophora californica  Digger Bee
        Xylocopa parkinsoniae  Large Carpenter Bee
      halictidae  Augochloropsis metallica  Green Sweat Bee
      sphecidae  Chalybion sp.  Blue Mud Dauber
        Sphex lucae  Digger Wasp
      crabronidae  Astata sp.  Wasp
        Bicyrtes sp.  Sand Wasp
      vespidae  Polistes exclamans  Paper Wasp
      eulophidae  Euplectrus sp.  Wasp
      ichneumonidae  Unknown sp.  Ichneumon
      formicidae  Crematogaster sp.  Acrobat Ant

    diptera  dolichopodidae  Unknown sp.  Long-legged Fly
      syrphidae  Copestylum marginatum  Flower Fly
        Copestylum avidum  Flower Fly
      culicidae  Aedes albopictus  Asian Tiger Mosquito
      tephritidae  Trupanea sp.  Fruit Fly
      sarcophagidae  Unknown sp.  Flesh Fly
      asilidae  Promachus hinei  Robber Fly
      tachinidae  Archytas sp.  Tachinid Fly
        Unknown sp.  Tachinid Fly (egg)

    odonata  coenagrionidae  Argia fumipennis  Variable Dancer
        Argia plana  Springwater Dancer
        Ischnura ramburii  Rambur's Forktail
      libellulidae  Libellula croceipennis  Neon Skimmer (adult & exuviae)
        Pachydiplax longipennis  Blue Dasher
        Tramea onusta  Red Saddlebags

    orthoptera  acrididae  Melanoplus ponderosus  Ponderous Grasshopper (nymph)
        Paraidemona sp.  Spur-throated Grasshopper
        Mermiria sp.  Slant-faced Grasshopper (nymph)
        Lactista aztecus  Aztec Bandwing
        Schistocerca lineata  Spotted Bird Grasshopper (nymph)
      tettigoniidae  Dichopetala catinata  Spoon-tailed Short-winged Katydid
        Conocephalus strictus  Straight-lanced Meadow Katydid (nymph)

    blattodea  blattellidae  Pseudomops septentrionalis  Pale-bordered Field Cockroach

    araneae  tetragnathidae  Tetragnatha laboriosa  Silver Long-jawed Orbweaver
      araneidae  Araneus bicentenarius  Giant Lichen Orbweaver
      dictynidae  Unknown sp.  Meshweb Weaver
      thomisidae  Mecaphesa sp.  Crab Spider

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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey May 24, 2012