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


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

Six people participated in this week's survey. The weather was hot, sunny, and very humid after recent rains. No doubt due to the extra moisture, mosquitoes figured prominently in the list of species this time, including one of our largest: the Gallinipper. Although they are renowned for the females' requirement of a blood meal to produce eggs, adult mosquitoes mostly feed on nectar. Not only are these pesky flies important food for birds, but they are pollinators too!

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Mallophora fautrix (robber fly)
photo by Val Bugh


Promachus hinei (robber fly)
photo by Val Bugh


Aedes albopictus (Asian tiger mosquito)
photo by Val Bugh


Ochlerotatus trivittatus (mosquito)
photo by Val Bugh


Psorophora cyanescens (mosquito)
photo by Val Bugh


Psorophora ciliata (gallinipper)
photo by Val Bugh


Leptocerus americanus (long-horned caddisfly)
photo by Val Bugh


Zelus renardii (assassin bug)
photo by Val Bugh


Ollarianus strictus (leafhopper, 3 mm long)
photo by Val Bugh


Microtheoris vibicalis (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Parachma ochracealis (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Stegasta bosqueella (red-necked peanutworm moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Aristotelia sp. (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (caterpillar killed by mummy wasp,
which emerged from the hole at rear)
photo by Val Bugh


Cerceris sp. (wasp)
photo by Val Bugh


Pseudosermyle strigata (walking stick)
photo by Val Bugh


Syrbula admirabilis (handsome grasshopper, nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Plinthocoelium suaveolens (bumelia borer)
photo by Val Bugh


Mangora gibberosa (orbweaver)
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii)
    Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)
    Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri)
    Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)
    Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
    Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
    Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus)
    Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria)
    Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
    Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris)
    Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
    Western Scrub-jay (Aphelocoma californica)
    White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)

  • Mammals:
    Hispid Cotton Rat (Sigmodon hispidus)
    White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

  • Reptiles:
    Texas Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus olivaceus)
    Redstripe Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis proximus rubrilineatus)

  • Misc.:
    Globular Drop (Helicina orbiculata)
    Land Snail (Rabdotus sp.)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Agraulis vanillae  Gulf Fritillary
        Junonia coenia  Common Buckeye
        Polygonia interrogationis  Question Mark
        Asterocampa clyton  Tawny Emperor
        Asterocampa celtis  Hackberry Emperor
        Danaus gilippus  Queen
      papilionidae  Papilio polyxenes  Black Swallowtail (adult & larva)
        Papilio cresphontes  Giant Swallowtail
      pieridae  Eurema nicippe  Sleepy Orange
        Nathalis iole  Dainty Sulphur
        Phoebis sennae  Cloudless Sulphur
      lycaenidae  Hemiargus isola  Reakirt's Blue
        Hemiargus ceraunus  Ceraunus Blue
        Strymon melinus  Gray Hairstreak
        Callophrys gryneus  Juniper Hairstreak
      hesperiidae  Pyrgus communis/albescens  Common/White Checkered-skipper
        Hylephila phyleus  Fiery Skipper
        Lerodea eufala  Eufala Skipper
        Lerema accius  Clouded Skipper
      noctuidae  Acontia cretata  Bird Dropping Moth
        Phytometra orgiae  Moth
        Aon noctuiformis  Moth
        Tripudia quadrifera  Moth
        Catabena lineolata  Fine-lined Sallow
      sphingidae  Erinnyis obscura  Obscure Sphinx
      saturniidae  Antheraea polyphemus  Polyphemus Moth (larva)
      geometridae  Lobocleta ossularia  Drab Brown Wave
        Lobocleta peralbata  White Wave
        Anavitrinella atristrigaria  Gulf Coast Gray
        Chlorochlamys chloroleucaria  Blackberry Looper Moth
        Digrammia delectata  Moth
        Rindgea nigricomma  Moth
      crambidae  Lineodes interrupta  Moth
        Pyrausta laticlavia  Southern Purple Mint Moth
        Uresiphita reversalis  Genista Caterpillar (larva)
        Euchromius ocelleus  Grass-veneer Moth
        Microtheoris vibicalis  Moth
        Mimoschinia rufofascialis  Moth
        Glaphyria sequistrialis  White-roped Glaphyria
      pyralidae  Ephestiodes sp.  Moth
        Parachma ochracealis  Moth
      gelechiidae  Anacampsis fullonella  Moth
        Calliprora sexstrigella  Moth
        Aristotelia sp.  Moth
        Battaristis sp.  Moth
        Stegasta bosqueella  Red-necked Peanutworm Moth
        Isophrictis similiella  Moth
      oecophoridae  Inga obscuromaculella  Moth
      elachistidae  Haplochrois bipunctella  Moth
      tineidae  Amydria sp.  Moth
      psychidae  Unknown sp.  Bagworm (pupa)

    coleoptera  chrysomelidae  Chrysomela texana  Leaf Beetle
      coccinellidae  Scymnus sp.  Ladybird Beetle
      cerambycidae  Plinthocoelium suaveolens  Bumelia Borer
      elateridae  Diplostethus texanus  Click Beetle

    hemiptera  coreidae  Acanthocephala terminalis  Coreid Bug (nymph)
        Narnia femorata  Cactus Bug
      reduviidae  Zelus renardii  Assassin Bug
        Zelus tetracanthus  Assassin Bug
      miridae  Polymerus basalis  Plant Bug
      lygaeidae  Lygaeus kalmii  Small Milkweed Bug
      cydnidae  Pangaeus sp.  Burrowing Bug
      pentatomidae  Thyanta custator  Stink Bug
        Banasa euchlora  Stink Bug
        Euschistus servus  Brown Stink Bug

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Homalodisca vitripennis  Glassy-winged Sharpshooter
        Ollarianus strictus  Leafhopper
        Neokolla dolobrata  Leafhopper
        Cuerna costalis  Leafhopper
        Texananus excultus  Leafhopper
      cicadidae  Tibicen texanus  Cicada

    hymenoptera  apidae  Apis mellifera  Honey Bee
        Bombus pensylvanicus  American Bumble Bee
      halictidae  Unknown sp.  Green Sweat Bee
      vespidae  Polistes carolina  Red Wasp
        Polistes exclamans  Paper Wasp
        Euodynerus annulatus  Mason Wasp
        Vespula squamosa  Southern Yellowjacket
      sphecidae  Sceliphron caementarium  Yellow-and-black Mud Dauber
        Sphex lucae  Digger Wasp
      crabronidae  Cerceris sp.  Wasp
      pompilidae  Pepsis sp.  Spider Wasp
      formicidae  Pheidole sp.  Big-headed Ant
      braconidae  Aleiodes sp.  Mummy Wasp (cocoon)
      ichneumonidae  Unknown sp.  Ichneumon (cocoon)

    diptera  culicidae  Aedes albopictus  Asian Tiger Mosquito
        Ochlerotatus trivittatus  Mosquito
        Psorophora ciliata  Gallinipper
        Psorophora cyanescens  Mosquito
      asilidae  Promachus hinei  Robber Fly
        Mallophora fautrix  Robber Fly
      tachinidae  Unknown sp.  Tachinid Fly
      dolichopodidae  Unknown sp.  Long-legged Fly

    odonata  coenagrionidae  Ischnura ramburii  Rambur's Forktail
      libellulidae  Libellula croceipennis  Neon Skimmer
        Plathemis lydia  Common Whitetail
        Pachydiplax longipennis  Blue Dasher
        Orthemis ferruginea  Roseate Skimmer
        Tramea onusta  Red Saddlebags
      aeshnidae  Anax junius  Common Green Darner

    orthoptera  acrididae  Boopedon gracile  Graceful Range Grasshopper
        Syrbula admirabilis  Handsome Grasshopper (nymph)
        Lactista aztecus  Aztec Bandwing
        Schistocerca nitens  Gray Bird Grasshopper
      tettigoniidae  Pediodectes bruneri  Bruner's Shieldback
        Pediodectes haldemani  Haldeman's Shieldback
        Amblycorypha huasteca  Texas False Katydid

    phasmatodea  diapheromeridae  Pseudosermyle strigata  Walking Stick

    neuroptera  chrysopidae  Unknown sp.  Green Lacewing (larva)
      berothidae  Lomamyia sp.  Beaded Lacewing

    trichoptera  leptoceridae  Leptocerus americanus  Long-horned Caddisfly

    araneae  salticidae  Thiodina puerpera  Jumping Spider
      theridiidae  Latrodectus mactans  Southern Black Widow
      lycosidae  Pirata sp.  Wolf Spider
      araneidae  Cyclosa turbinata  Trashline Orbweaver
        Argiope aurantia  Black and Yellow Garden Spider
        Mangora gibberosa  Orbweaver
      oecobiidae  Oecobius sp.  Wall Spider
      thomisidae  Mecaphesa sp.  Crab Spider

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