previousindexnext   
  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey October 31, 2013


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

Three participants completed this week's survey as the previous night's thunderstorms gave way to mostly sunny, warm, breezy conditions. Just because an animal is eating another, it doesn't necessarily follow that the former is a predator. Scavengers are an important part of any ecosystem, cleaning up organic debris of all kinds. The slow-moving millipede shown below is feasting on a leafhopper that was undoubtedly already dead when found.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Rana berlandieri (Rio Grande leopard frog)
photo by Val Bugh


Sceloporus olivaceus (Texas spiny lizard eating a grasshopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Otala lactea (garden snail, immature)
photo by Val Bugh


Dolichoplana striata (land planarian)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (julid millipede eating a leafhopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Sympetrum vicinum (autumn meadowhawk)
photo by Val Bugh


Sympetrum corruptum (variegated meadowhawk)
photo by Val Bugh


Libellula croceipennis (neon skimmer, with exuviae)
photo by Val Bugh


Carabus sp. (ground beetle)
photo by Val Bugh


Chrysolina auripennis (leaf beetle)
photo by Val Bugh


Scaptolenus sp. (rain click beetle)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (long-legged fly)
photo by Val Bugh


Diapheromera sp. (walkingstick, view from underneath)
photo by Val Bugh


Hypercompe scribonia (great leopard moth larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Estigmene acrea (saltmarsh caterpillar)
photo by Val Bugh


Stiria intermixta (moth larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Herpetogramma bipunctalis (two-spotted herpetogramma)
photo by Val Bugh


Hypena minualis (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Libytheana carinenta (American snout)
photo by Val Bugh


Junonia coenia (common buckeye)
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus)
    Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
    Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
    Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
    Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)

  • Reptiles & Amphibians:
    Texas Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus olivaceus)
    Rio Grande Leopard Frog (Rana berlandieri)

  • Misc.:
    Millipede (Unknown sp.), order Julida
    Garden Snail (Otala lactea)
    Globular Drop (Helicina orbiculata)
    Decollate Snail (Rumina decollata)
    Land Planarian (Dolichoplana striata)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Agraulis vanillae  Gulf Fritillary
        Euptoieta claudia  Variegated Fritillary
        Danaus gilippus  Queen
        Danaus plexippus  Monarch
        Danaus eresimus  Soldier
        Libytheana carinenta  American Snout
        Mestra amymone  Common Mestra
        Vanessa atalanta  Red Admiral
        Junonia coenia  Common Buckeye
        Phyciodes texana  Texan Crescent
      pieridae  Phoebis sennae  Cloudless Sulphur
        Phoebis philea  Orange-barred Sulphur
        Phoebis agarithe  Large Orange Sulphur
        Eurema lisa  Little Yellow
        Eurema nicippe  Sleepy Orange
        Zerene cesonia  Southern Dogface
      lycaenidae  Hemiargus isola  Reakirt's Blue
        Hemiargus ceraunus  Ceraunus Blue
        Strymon melinus  Gray Hairstreak
        Strymon istapa  Mallow Scrub-hairstreak
        Atlides halesus  Great Purple Hairstreak
      hesperiidae  Lerema accius  Clouded Skipper
        Lerodea eufala  Eufala Skipper
        Atalopedes campestris  Sachem
        Pyrgus philetas  Desert Checkered-skipper
      noctuidae  Melipotis cellaris  Moth
        Mocis latipes  Small Mocis
        Rachiplusia ou  Gray Looper Moth
        Chrysodeixis includens  Soybean Looper Moth
        Unknown sp.  Looper (larva)
        Spodoptera albula  Gray Streaked Armyworm Moth
        Cucullia sp.  Moth
        Stiria intermixta  Moth (larva)
        Anticarsia gemmatalis  Velvetbean Caterpillar Moth
        Hypena minualis  Moth
      arctiidae  Estigmene acrea  Saltmarsh Moth (larva)
        Hypercompe scribonia  Great Leopard Moth (larva)
      saturniidae  Eupackardia calleta  Calleta Silkmoth (larva)
      geometridae  Digrammia pallidata  Moth
        Digrammia californiaria  Moth
        Rindgea cyda  Moth
        Psamatodes abydata  Dot-lined Angle
        Lobocleta ossularia  Drab Brown Wave
        Tornos scolopacinaria  Moth
      crambidae  Uresiphita reversalis  Genista Caterpillar Moth
        Hymenia perspectalis  Spotted Beet Webworm Moth
        Euchromius ocelleus  Grass-veneer Moth
        Fissicrambus quadrinotellus  Grass-veneer Moth
        Herpetogramma bipunctalis  Two-spotted Herpetogramma
        Lineodes integra  Eggplant Leafroller Moth
        Lineodes triangulalis  Moth
        Diastictis fracturalis  Moth
      pyralidae  Parachma ochracealis  Moth
        Peoria sp.  Grass-veneer Moth
        Tampa dimediatella  Tampa Moth
      tortricidae  Decodes basiplagana  Leafroller Moth
        Bactra verutana  Javelin Moth
        Eumarozia malachitana  Sculptured Moth
      carposinidae  Carposina sasakii  Peach Fruitworm Moth
      gracillariidae  Leucospilapteryx venustella  Moth
      zygaenidae  Acoloithus novaricus  False Skeletonizer (larva)
      gelechiidae  Brachyacma palpigera  Soybean Webworm Moth
        Battaristis sp.  Moth

    coleoptera  chrysomelidae  Asphaera lustrans  Flea Beetle
        Chrysolina auripennis  Leaf Beetle
      cerambycidae  Ataxia crypta  Longhorn Beetle
        Sphaenothecus bivittata  Longhorn Beetle
      elateridae  Scaptolenus sp.  Rain Click Beetle
      carabidae  Carabus sp.  Ground Beetle
      scarabaeidae  Diplotaxis sp.  Scarab
      curculionidae  Curculio sp.  Nut Weevil
        Conotrachelus naso  Weevil

    hemiptera  coreidae  Leptoglossus zonatus  Leaf-footed Bug (adult & nymph)
        Leptoglossus phyllopus  Eastern Leaf-footed Bug (adult & nymph)
        Leptoglossus clypealis  Leaf-footed Bug (adult & nymph)
        Hypselonotus punctiventris  Coreid Bug
      rhyparochromidae  Cnemodus mavortius  Seed Bug
      miridae  Phytocoris sp.  Plant Bug
        Dichrooscytus sp.  Plant Bug
      pentatomidae  Euschistus servus  Brown Stink Bug

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Gyponana sp.  Leafhopper
        Homalodisca vitripennis  Glassy-winged Sharpshooter
        Erythroneura vulnerata  Leafhopper
      cixiidae  Cixius sp.  Planthopper

    hymenoptera  apidae  Apis mellifera  Honey Bee
        Bombus pensylvanicus  American Bumble Bee
      vespidae  Polistes exclamans  Paper Wasp
      scoliidae  Scolia dubia  Scoliid Wasp
      braconidae  Unknown sp.  Braconid Wasp

    diptera  calliphoridae  Chrysomya sp.  Blow Fly
      empididae  Unknown sp.  Dance Fly
      dolichopodidae  Unknown sp.  Long-legged Fly
      tephritidae  Neotephritis finalis  Fruit Fly
      drosophilidae  Zaprionus indianus  Vinegar Fly
      bombyliidae  Poecilanthrax lucifer  Bee Fly
      culicidae  Unknown sp.  Mosquito

    odonata  libellulidae  Sympetrum corruptum  Variegated Meadowhawk
        Sympetrum vicinum  Autumn Meadowhawk
        Libellula croceipennis  Neon Skimmer
      coenagrionidae  Enallagma civile  Familiar Bluet

    orthoptera  acrididae  Chortophaga viridifasciata  Northern Green-striped Grasshopper (nymph)
        Schistocerca sp.  Bird Grasshopper (nymph)
        Schistocerca nitens  Gray Bird Grasshopper
        Melanoplus plebejus  Plebeian Grasshopper
        Phaedrotettix concinnus  Spur-throated Grasshopper
      gryllidae  Gryllus sp.  Field Cricket
      tettigoniidae  Scudderia furcata  Fork-tailed Bush Katydid

    mantodea  mantidae  Stagmomantis carolina  Carolina Mantis

    phasmatodea  diapheromeridae  Diapheromera sp.  Walking Stick

    ephemeroptera  baetidae  Unknown sp.  Small Minnow Mayfly

    araneae  araneidae  Neoscona crucifera  Orbweaver
        Metepeira sp.  Orbweaver
      thomisidae  Mecaphesa sp.  Crab Spider
      salticidae  Phidippus audax  Bold Jumper
        Habronattus cognatus  Jumping Spider

previousindexnext   
  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey October 31, 2013