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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey August 30, 2012


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

It was, once again, hot and sunny as five participants conducted this week's survey. We frequently find our observations of spiders to be among the highlights of the morning. Below are examples of a crab spider's excellent camouflage, the tiny drama between a jumping spider and an ant, and a tarantula in a surprisingly lofty hiding place. Because a fall of 10 feet or so to the hard pavement would likely be fatal to the spider, we wondered what prompted it to climb up there in the first place.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Carebara longii (ants mating)
photo by Val Bugh


Scolia dubia (scoliid wasp)
photo by Val Bugh


Polistes apachus (Apache wasp)
photo by Val Bugh


Euodynerus crypticus (mason wasp)
photo by Val Bugh


Melanoplus ponderosus (ponderous grasshopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Hypselonotus punctiventris (coreid bug)
photo by Val Bugh


Sphaenothecus bivittata (long-horned beetle)
photo by Val Bugh


Euphyes vestris (dun skipper)
photo by Val Bugh


Atalopedes campestris (sachem)
photo by Val Bugh


Erynnis funeralis (funereal duskywing)
photo by Val Bugh


Strymon istapa (mallow scrub-hairstreak)
photo by Val Bugh


Calephelis nemesis (fatal metalmark)
photo by Val Bugh


Heliothis virescens (tobacco budworm)
photo by Val Bugh


Dicymolomia julianalis (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Cudonigera houstonana (juniper budworm moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Neoscythris fissirostris (moth, 4 mm long)
photo by Val Bugh


Eacles imperialis (imperial moth, 4 inches wide!)
photo by Val Bugh


Mecaphesa sp. (crab spider eating syrphid fly)
photo by Val Bugh


Pelegrina galathea (peppered jumper eating ant)
photo by Val Bugh


Aphonopelma sp. (tarantula in the rafters)
photo by Harriett Wolf

  • Birds:
    Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii)
    Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri)
    Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus)
    Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)
    Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
    Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
    Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus)
    Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Picoides scalaris)
    Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria)
    Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
    Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra)
    Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
    Western Scrub-jay (Aphelocoma californica)
    White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus)
    White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)
    Woodpecker (Melanerpes sp.)

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

  • Misc.:
    Spider Mite (Unknown sp.)
    Striped Bark Scorpion (Centruroides vittatus)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Agraulis vanillae  Gulf Fritillary
        Dryas iulia  Julia Heliconian
        Junonia coenia  Common Buckeye
        Asterocampa celtis  Hackberry Emperor
        Phyciodes texana  Texan Crescent
        Thessalia theona  Theona Checkerspot
        Danaus gilippus  Queen
      papilionidae  Papilio polyxenes  Black Swallowtail
      riodinidae  Calephelis nemesis  Fatal Metalmark
      pieridae  Nathalis iole  Dainty Sulphur
        Eurema nicippe  Sleepy Orange
        Eurema lisa  Little Yellow
        Phoebis sennae  Cloudless Sulphur
      lycaenidae  Callophrys gryneus  Juniper Hairstreak
        Hemiargus ceraunus  Ceraunus Blue
        Hemiargus isola  Reakirt's Blue
        Strymon melinus  Gray Hairstreak
        Strymon istapa  Mallow Scrub-hairstreak
      hesperiidae  Pyrgus communis/albescens  Common/White Checkered-skipper
        Erynnis horatius  Horace's Duskywing
        Erynnis funeralis  Funereal Duskywing
        Systasea pulverulenta  Texas Powdered-skipper
        Hylephila phyleus  Fiery Skipper
        Lerodea eufala  Eufala Skipper (adult & larva)
        Lerema accius  Clouded Skipper
        Atalopedes campestris  Sachem
        Euphyes vestris  Dun Skipper
      noctuidae  Tarache tetragona  Four-spotted Bird Dropping Moth
        Tarache aprica  Exposed Bird Dropping Moth
        Ponometia candefacta  Olive-shaded Bird Dropping Moth
        Plusiodonta compressipalpis  Moonseed Moth
        Catabena lineolata  Fine-lined Sallow
        Heliothis virescens  Tobacco Budworm (larva)
      arctiidae  Pygarctia roseicapitis  Tiger Moth
      notodontidae  Schizura errucata  Prominent
      saturniidae  Eacles imperialis  Imperial Moth
      sphingidae  Manduca quinquemaculata  Five-spotted Hawk Moth
        Erinnyis lassauxii  Lassaux's Sphinx
      geometridae  Digrammia sp.  Moth
        Digrammia atrofasciata  Moth
        Scopula umbilicata  Moth
        Pimaphera percata  Moth
      crambidae  Microtheoris vibicalis  Moth
        Euchromius ocelleus  Grass-veneer Moth
        Dicymolomia julianalis  Moth
        Pyrausta pseuderosnealis  Pyrausta Moth
      pyralidae  Alpheioides parvulalis  Moth
        Amyelois transitella  Moth
        Ephestiodes sp.  Moth
        Omphalocera cariosa  Barberry Webworm Moth
      tortricidae  Cudonigera houstonana  Juniper Budworm Moth
        Suleima helianthana  Sunflower Bud Moth
      gelechiidae  Anacampsis fullonella  Moth
      glyphidoceridae  Glyphidocera lactiflosella  Five-spotted Glyphidocera
      xyloryctidae  Scythris trivinctella  Moth
        Neoscythris fissirostris  Moth

    coleoptera  coccinellidae  Coccinella septempunctata  Seven-spotted Ladybird
        Scymnus sp.  Ladybird beetle
        Cycloneda sanguinea  Red Ladybird
        Harmonia axyridis  Multi-colored Asian Ladybird
        Psyllobora renifer  Ladybird Beetle
      cerambycidae  Ataxia hubbardi  Long-horned Beetle
        Aneflomorpha tenuis  Long-horned Beetle
        Sphaenothecus bivittata  Long-horned Beetle
        Liopinus mimeticus  Long-horned Beetle
      chrysomelidae  Disonycha leptolineata  Flea Beetle
      anthribidae  Trigonorhinus limbatus  Fungus Weevil
      buprestidae  Agrilus addendus  Metallic Woodborer
      curculionidae  Curculio sp.  Nut Weevil
        Gerstaeckeria sp.  Weevil
        Anthonomus dicipiens  Weevil
        Mitostylus tenuis  Broomweed Broad-nosed Weevil

    hemiptera  coreidae  Narnia femorata  Cactus Bug (nymph)
        Chelinidea vittiger  Opuntia Bug (nymph)
        Hypselonotus punctiventris  Coreid Bug
      alydidae  Hyalymenus tarsatus  Texas Bow-legged Bug
      lygaeidae  Craspeduchus uhleri  Seed Bug
        Oncopeltus fasciatus  Large Milkweed Bug
        Neortholomus scolopax  Seed Bug
      rhopalidae  Harmostes sp.  Scentless Plant Bug
      largidae  Largus sp.  Largus Bug
      reduviidae  Zelus renardii  Assassin Bug (adult & nymph)
        Zelus tetracanthus  Four-spined Assassin Bug
        Sinea sp.  Spined Assassin Bug
      miridae  Polymerus basalis  Plant Bug
      pentatomidae  Thyanta custator  Stink Bug
        Mecidea major  Grass Stink Bug

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Cuerna costalis  Leafhopper
        Neokolla sp.  Leafhopper (nymph)
        Texananus excultus  Leafhopper
      cixiidae  Oliarus sp.  Planthopper
      acanaloniidae  Acanalonia laticosta  Planthopper
      aphididae  Unknown sp.  Aphid
        Aphis nerii  Oleander Aphid
      dactylopiidae  Dactylopius sp.  Cochineal Insect

    hymenoptera  apidae  Apis mellifera  Honey Bee
        Bombus pensylvanicus  American Bumble Bee
      megachilidae  Megachile sp.  Leaf-cutter Bee
        Stelis sp.  Parasitic Leaf-cutter Bee
        Coelioxys sp.  Parasitic Leaf-cutter Bee
      halictidae  Halictus ligatus  Sweat Bee
        Unknown sp.  Green Sweat Bee
      vespidae  Polistes carolina  Red Wasp
        Polistes exclamans  Paper Wasp
        Polistes apachus  Apache Wasp
        Vespula squamosa  Southern Yellowjacket
        Euodynerus hidalgo  Mason Wasp
        Euodynerus crypticus  Mason Wasp
      sphecidae  Sphex lucae  Digger Wasp
        Prionyx sp.  Thread-waisted Wasp
        Sceliphron caementarium  Yellow-and-Black Mud Dauber
      pompilidae  Pepsis sp.  Spider Wasp
      scoliidae  Scolia dubia  Scoliid Wasp
      formicidae  Carebara longii  Ant

    diptera  culicidae  Aedes albopictus  Asian Tiger Mosquito
      bombyliidae  Poecilanthrax lucifer  Bee Fly
      syrphidae  Allograpta obliqua  Flower Fly
        Ocyptamus fascipennis  Flower Fly
      asilidae  Efferia sp.  Robber Fly
      tachinidae  Microphthalma sp.  Tachinid Fly

    odonata  coenagrionidae  Argia immunda  Kiowa Dancer
        Argia fumipennis  Variable Dancer
      libellulidae  Libellula croceipennis  Neon Skimmer
        Pachydiplax longipennis  Blue Dasher
        Orthemis ferruginea  Roseate Skimmer

    orthoptera  acrididae  Lactista aztecus  Aztec Bandwing
        Melanoplus flabellatus  Dallas Short-winged Grasshopper
        Melanoplus ponderosus  Ponderous Grasshopper
      tettigoniidae  Conocephalus strictus  Straight-lanced Meadow Katydid (nymph)
        Scudderia furcata  Fork-tailed Bush Katydid (nymph)
      mogoplistidae  Cycloptilum sp.  Scaly Cricket

    mantodea  mantidae  Stagmomantis carolina  Carolina Mantis

    neuroptera  chrysopidae  Chrysopa quadripunctata  Green Lacewing

    araneae  salticidae  Phidippus audax  Bold Jumper
        Pelegrina galathea  Peppered Jumper
        Anasaitis canosa  Jumping Spider
      araneidae  Araneus sp.  Orbweaver
      dictynidae  Unknown sp.  Meshweb Weaver
      oecobiidae  Oecobius sp.  Wall Spider
      pholcidae  Crossopriza lyoni  Cellar Spider
      thomisidae  Mecaphesa sp.  Crab Spider
      theraphosidae  Aphonopelma sp.  Tarantula

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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey August 30, 2012