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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey May 31, 2012


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

Our party of three was fortunate to have mostly cloudy skies on an otherwise muggy morning. One of the more interesting behaviors we witnessed this time was a green sweat bee using buzz pollination (or sonication) on nightshade flowers. A number of plant species, including many in the genus Solanum, have pollen contained within tubes and the most efficient way for it to be dislodged is by a bee vibrating its muscles to loosen the grains so that they fall out of the tube opening. In the photo below, the bee is holding its back leg directly below the anther opening to catch the pollen as it falls out.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Augochloropsis metallica (green sweat bee
buzz pollinating nightshade)
photo by Val Bugh


Osmia subfasciata (mason bee)
photo by Val Bugh


Tachytes sp. (digger wasp)
photo by Val Bugh


Oecobius sp. (wall spider securing beetle with silk)
photo by Val Bugh


Oecanthus sp. (tree cricket, male)
photo by Val Bugh


Euborellia annulipes (ring-legged earwig)
photo by Val Bugh


Nabis capsiformis (damsel bug)
photo by Val Bugh


Oncopeltus fasciatus (large milkweed bug nymph molting)
photo by Val Bugh


Lygaeus kalmii (small milkweed bug)
photo by Val Bugh


Acinopterus angulatus (leafhopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Disonycha fumata (flea beetle)
photo by Val Bugh


Mallodon dasystomus (hardwood stump borer)
photo by Val Bugh


Stenonema femoratum (flat-headed mayfly)
photo by Val Bugh


Polyhymno luteostrigella (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Catocala amica (girlfriend underwing)
photo by Val Bugh


Schinia citrinellus (flower moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Atlides halesus (great purple hairstreak)
photo by Val Bugh


Pyrgus communis/albescens (common/white
checkered-skipper larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Heliothis virescens (tobacco budworm)
photo by Val Bugh


Asterocampa clyton (tawny emperor, larva face)
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii)
    Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)
    Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus)
    Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)
    Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)
    Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
    European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
    Hummingbird (Archilochus sp.)
    Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria)
    Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
    Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris)
    White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)
    Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus)

  • Reptiles:
    Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis)
    Texas Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus olivaceus)

  • Misc.:
    Harvestman (Unknown sp.)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Agraulis vanillae  Gulf Fritillary (adult, pupa & larva)
        Euptoieta claudia  Variegated Fritillary (adult & larva)
        Polygonia interrogationis  Question Mark (adult & larva)
        Junonia coenia  Common Buckeye
        Asterocampa clyton  Tawny Emperor (adult & larva)
        Danaus gilippus  Queen
      pieridae  Eurema nicippe  Sleepy Orange
        Pontia protodice  Checkered White
        Nathalis iole  Dainty Sulphur
        Phoebis sennae  Cloudless Sulphur (adult & larva)
      lycaenidae  Hemiargus isola  Reakirt's Blue
        Atlides halesus  Great Purple Hairstreak
        Strymon melinus  Gray Hairstreak
      hesperiidae  Erynnis funeralis  Funereal Duskywing
        Pyrgus communis/albescens  Common/White Checkered-skipper (adult, larva & egg)
      noctuidae  Catocala amica  Girlfriend Underwing
        Ponometia candefacta  Olive-shaded Bird Dropping Moth
        Schinia citrinellus  Flower Moth
        Plusiodonta compressipalpis  Moonseed Moth
        Cucullia sp.  Moth (adult & larva)
        Bulia deducta  Moth
        Spodoptera ornithogalli  Yellow-striped Armyworm (larva)
      arctiidae  Estigmene acrea  Saltmarsh Caterpillar (larva)
      geometridae  Lobocleta ossularia  Drab Brown Wave
        Lobocleta peralbata  White Wave
        Nemoria zygotaria  Emerald
        Eupithecia miserulata  Common Pug
        Anavitrinella atristrigaria  Gulf Coast Gray
        Cyclophora nanaria  Dwarf Tawny Wave
      crambidae  Glaphyria peremptalis  Moth
        Aethiophysa lentiflualis  Moth
        Fissicrambus profanellus  Grass-veneer Moth
        Euchromius ocelleus  Grass-veneer Moth
        Lineodes interrupta  Moth
        Diastictis fracturalis  Moth
      pyralidae  Homoeosoma electella  Sunflower Moth
        Ephestiodes sp.  Moth
        Omphalocera cariosa  Barberry Webworm (larva)
      tortricidae  Epiblema abruptana  Moth
      coleophoridae  Blastobasis sp.  Moth
        Calosima sp.  Moth
      gelechiidae  Aristotelia sp.  Moth
        Polyhymno luteostrigella  Moth
      lacturidae  Lactura sp.  Moth
      oecophoridae  Inga cretacea  Chalky Inga
      tineidae  Amydria sp.  Moth
      acrolophidae  Acrolophus griseus  Tubeworm Moth
        Acrolophus texanella  Tubeworm Moth

    coleoptera  chrysomelidae  Disonycha fumata  Flea Beetle
        Lema trabeata  Leaf Beetle (adult & larva)
      coccinellidae  Coccinella septempunctata  Seven-spotted Ladybird
      buprestidae  Acmaeodera ornatoides  Metallic Woodborer
        Acmaeodera mixta  Metallic Woodborer
      cerambycidae  Moneilema armatum  Cactus Longhorn
        Mallodon dasystomus  Hardwood Stump Borer
      tenebrionidae  Eleodes goryi  Darkling Beetle
        Blapstinus sp.  Darkling Beetle
      hydrophilidae  Tropisternus lateralis  Water Scavenger Beetle
      curculionidae  Sitona californius  Broad-nosed Weevil

    hemiptera  miridae  Polymeris basalis  Plant Bug
      coreidae  Leptoglossus phyllopus  Leaf-footed Bug
        Narnia femorata (adult & nymph)  Cactus Bug
        Chelinidea vittiger  Opuntia Bug (adult & nymph)
        Chelinidea tabulata  Opuntia Bug (nymph)
      lygaeidae  Lygaeus kalmii  Small Milkweed Bug
        Oncopeltus fasciatus  Large Milkweed Bug (adult & nymph)
        Nysius sp.  False Chinch Bug
      berytidae  Jalysus sp.  Stilt Bug
      rhopalidae  Liorhyssus hyalinus  Hyaline Grass Bug
      reduviidae  Zelus renardii  Assassin Bug (adult & nymph)
      nabidae  Nabis capsiformis  Damsel Bug
      cydnidae  Sehirus cinctus  Burrowing Bug
      pentatomidae  Thyanta custator  Stink Bug
        Mecidea major  Grass Stink Bug
        Banasa euchlora  Stink Bug

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Acinopterus angulatus  Leafhopper
      cicadidae  Tibicen superbus  Superb Cicada
        Tibicen texanus  Cicada
        Unknown sp.  Cicada (exuviae)

    hymenoptera  apidae  Apis mellifera  Honey Bee
        Centris atripes  Digger Bee
        Melissodes sp.  Digger Bee
      halictidae  Augochloropsis metallica  Green Sweat Bee
      megachilidae  Dianthidium sp.  Resin Bee
        Osmia subfasciata  Mason Bee
      sphecidae  Prionyx sp.  Thread-waisted Wasp
        Sphex lucae  Digger Wasp
        Ammophila sp.  Thread-waisted Wasp
      crabronidae  Tachytes sp.  Digger Wasp
        Bicyrtes sp.  Sand Wasp
      pompilidae  Tachypompilus unicolor  Spider Wasp
      evaniidae  Evania appendigaster  Ensign Wasp
      eulophidae  Euplectrus sp.  Wasp (cocoons)
      ichneumonidae  Ophion sp.  Ichneumon
      braconidae  Unknown sp.  Braconid wasp

    diptera  syrphidae  Copestylum marginatum  Flower Fly
        Copestylum mexicana  Black Flower Fly
        Toxomerus marginatus  Flower Fly
      culicidae  Aedes albopictus  Asian Tiger Mosquito
      bombyliidae  Poecilanthrax lucifer  Bee Fly
      sarcophagidae  Unknown sp.  Flesh Fly
      tachinidae  Archytas sp.  Tachinid Fly

    odonata  coenagrionidae  Enallagma civile  Familiar Bluet
        Ischnura ramburii  Rambur's Forktail
      libellulidae  Libellula croceipennis  Neon Skimmer
        Pachydiplax longipennis  Blue Dasher
        Tramea onusta  Red Saddlebags
        Orthemis ferruginea  Roseate Skimmer

    orthoptera  acrididae  Melanoplus plebejus  Plebeian Grasshopper (nymph)
        Paraidemona sp.  Spur-throated Grasshopper
        Encoptolophus subgracilis  Southwestern Dusky Grasshopper
        Lactista aztecus  Aztec Bandwing (adult & nymph)
        Schistocerca sp.  Bird Grasshopper (nymph)
      tettigoniidae  Dichopetala catinata  Spoon-tailed Short-winged Katydid
        Conocephalus strictus  Straight-lanced Meadow Katydid
        Pediodectes bruneri  Bruner's Shieldback
      gryllidae  Oecanthus sp.  Tree Cricket

    phasmatodea  diapheromeridae  Megaphasma denticrus  Giant Walkingstick

    dermaptera  anisolabididae  Euborellia annulipes  Ring-legged Earwig

    neuroptera  chrysopidae  Chrysoperla sp.  Green Lacewing
        Unknown sp.  Green Lacewing (larva & eggs)
      myrmeleontidae  Myrmeleon sp.  Antlion

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

    ephemeroptera  heptageniidae  Stenonema femoratum  Flat-headed Mayfly

    embioptera  oligotomidae  Oligotoma sp.  Webspinner

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

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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey May 31, 2012