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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey December 12, 2013


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

The weather was sunny, cold and windy as three participants conducted this week's survey. Many lizards, like the chilled anole shown below, have on the center of their head a "third eye," also called a pineal, or parietal, eye. This organ is covered by skin but is light-sensitive and assists with thermoregulation.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Orphulella speciosa (pasture grasshopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Encoptolophus costalis (dusky grasshopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Hippiscus ocelote (wrinkled grasshopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Trachyrhachys kiowa (Kiowa grasshopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Schistocerca nitens (gray bird grasshopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Stagmomantis carolina (Carolina mantis egg case)
photo by Val Bugh


Anolis carolinensis (green anole - see the parietal eye?)
photo by Val Bugh


Orthonama obstipata (the gem)
photo by Val Bugh


Magusa divaricata (orbed narrow-wing)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (ichneumon)
photo by Val Bugh


Culiseta inornata (a rather large mosquito)
photo by Val Bugh


Gyponana sp. (leafhopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Euschistus obscurus (stink bug)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (wolf spider)
photo by Val Bugh


Pardosa sp. (wolf spider)
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
    Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii)
    Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus)
    Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)
    Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
    Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina)
    Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla)
    Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus)
    House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus)
    Inca Dove (Columbina inca)
    Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria)
    Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
    Orange-crowned Warbler (Vermivora celata)
    Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)
    Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
    Western Scrub-jay (Aphelocoma californica)
    Yellow-rumped Warbler (Dendroica coronata)

  • Mammals:
    Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)
    Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)

  • Reptiles:
    Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis)

  • Misc.:
    Millipede (Unknown sp.), order Julida
    Harvestman (Unknown sp.)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Euptoieta claudia  Variegated Fritillary (larva)
        Libytheana carinenta  American Snout
      pieridae  Nathalis iole  Dainty Sulphur
        Eurema nicippe  Sleepy Orange
        Colias eurytheme  Orange Sulphur
      lycaenidae  Hemiargus isola  Reakirt's Blue
      hesperiidae  Pyrgus communis/albescens  Common/White Checkered-skipper
      noctuidae  Magusa divaricata  Orbed Narrow-wing
        Hypena scabra  Green Cloverworm Moth
      geometridae  Iridopsis defectaria  Brown-shaded Gray
        Orthonama obstipata  The Gem

    coleoptera  curculionidae  Hypera postica  Weevil

    hemiptera  miridae  Hesperolabops gelastops  Cactus Plant Bug
      pentatomidae  Chinavia hilare  Green Stink Bug
        Euschistus obscurus  Stink Bug

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Gyponana sp.  Leafhopper
        Neokolla dolobrata  Leafhopper

    hymenoptera  vespidae  Polistes exclamans  Paper Wasp
      ichneumonidae  Unknown sp.  Ichneumon

    diptera  anthomyiidae  Unknown sp.  Root Maggot Fly
      simuliidae  Cnephia pecuarum  Southern Buffalo Gnat
      culicidae  Culiseta inornata  Mosquito

    orthoptera  acrididae  Chortophaga viridifasciata  Northern Green-striped Grasshopper (nymph)
        Lactista aztecus  Aztec Bandwing
        Hippiscus ocelote  Wrinkled Grasshopper
        Encoptolophus costalis  Dusky Grasshopper
        Trachyrhachys kiowa  Kiowa Grasshopper
        Eritettix abortivus  Texas Short-winged Slant-faced Grasshopper (adult & nymph)
        Orphulella speciosa  Pasture Grasshopper
        Schistocerca nitens  Gray Bird Grasshopper

    mantodea  mantidae  Stagmomantis carolina  Carolina Mantis (eggs)

    dermaptera  anisolabididae  Euborellia annulipes  Ring-legged Earwig

    araneae  araneidae  Neoscona crucifera  Orbweaver
      philodromidae  Philodromus sp.  Running Crab Spider
      lycosidae  Pardosa sp.  Wolf Spider
        Unknown sp.  Wolf Spider

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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey December 12, 2013