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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey December 19, 2013


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

A team of six volunteers completed the last survey of the year; conditions were mild, partly sunny and breezy. Some insect species have more than one color form, which is especially advantageous when the vegetation might be either brown or green. At least some individuals would be well camouflaged in either case. Two examples of this variability are shown below.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Polistes exclamans (paper wasp)
photo by Val Bugh


Camponotus festinatus (carpenter ant, major worker)
photo by Val Bugh


Lasioglossum sp. (sweat bee living dangerously)
photo by Val Bugh


Mecaphesa sp. (crab spider, on its retreat)
photo by Val Bugh


Trachelas sp. (spider)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (symphylans)
photo by Val Bugh


Anicla infecta (green cutworm)
photo by Val Bugh


Euptoieta claudia (variegated fritillary larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Udea rubigalis (celery leaftier moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Caloptilia rhoifoliella (sumac leafblotch miner moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Colias eurytheme (orange sulphur)
photo by Val Bugh


Eleodes tricostata (darkling beetle)
photo by Val Bugh


Micromus sp. (brown lacewing)
photo by Val Bugh


Idiocerus sp. (leafhopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Pelocoris sp. (creeping water bug)
photo by Val Bugh


Oebalus pugnax (rice stink bug)
photo by Val Bugh


Thyanta custator (stink bug: color variations)
photo by Val Bugh


Chortophaga viridifasciata (northern green-striped grasshopper nymphs: color variations)
photo by Val Bugh


Schistocerca americana (American bird grasshopper)
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
    Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii)
    Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)
    Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus)
    Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)
    Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)
    Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
    Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)
    House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus)
    Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
    Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula)
    Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
    Western Scrub-jay (Aphelocoma californica)
    White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys)

  • Mammals:
    Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)
    Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)
    Coyote (Canis latrans), fresh scat

  • Misc.:
    Garden Snail (Otala lactea)
    Decollate Snail (Rumina decollata)
    Land Snail (Polygyra tholus)
    Millipede (Unknown sp.), order Julida
    Stone Centipede (Unknown sp.)
    Symphylan (Unknown sp.)
    Pillbug (Armadillidium vulgare)
    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  Galgula partita  The Wedgling
        Hypena scabra  Green Cloverworm Moth
        Anicla infecta  Green Cutworm (larva)
        Mythimna unipuncta  Armyworm (larva)
        Rachiplusia ou  Gray Looper Moth
        Spodoptera ornithogalli  Yellow-striped Armyworm Moth
      geometridae  Rindgea disparcata  Moth
        Costaconvexa centrostrigaria  Bent-line Carpet
        Eupithecia miserulata  Common Pug (larva)
      crambidae  Udea rubigalis  Celery Leaftier Moth
        Lineodes interrupta  Moth
        Nomophila nearctica  Lucerne Moth
      plutellidae  Plutella xylostella  Diamondback Moth
      ypsolophidae  Ypsolopha unicipunctella  Agarita Slug Moth
      gracillariidae  Caloptilia rhoifoliella  Sumac Leafblotch Miner Moth

    coleoptera  chrysomelidae  Asphaera lustrans  Flea Beetle
        Diabrotica undecimpunctata  Spotted Cucumber Beetle
      cerambycidae  Ataxia crypta  Longhorn Beetle
      tenebrionidae  Eleodes tricostata  Darkling Beetle
      carabidae  Carabus sp.  Ground Beetle
        Unknown sp.  Ground Beetle

    hemiptera  miridae  Halticotoma valida  Yucca Plant Bug
      naucoridae  Pelocoris sp.  Creeping Water Bug
      pentatomidae  Thyanta custator  Stink Bug
        Oebalus pugnax  Rice Stink Bug

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Idiocerus sp.  Leafhopper
        Neokolla uhleri  Leafhopper

    hymenoptera  apidae  Apis mellifera  Honey Bee
      halictidae  Lasioglossum sp.  Sweat Bee
      formicidae  Camponotus festinatus  Carpenter Ant
      vespidae  Polistes exclamans  Paper Wasp
      ichneumonidae  Unknown sp.  Ichneumon

    diptera  anthomyiidae  Unknown sp.  Root Maggot Fly
      syrphidae  Toxomerus marginatus  Flower Fly
      tachinidae  Unknown sp.  Tachinid Fly
      tephritidae  Eutreta sp.  Fruit Fly
      ceratopogonidae  Unknown sp.  Biting Midge
      culicidae  Culiseta inornata  Mosquito

    orthoptera  acrididae  Chortophaga viridifasciata  Northern Green-striped Grasshopper (nymph)
        Lactista aztecus  Aztec Bandwing (adult & nymph)
        Trimerotropis pallidipennis  Pallid-winged Grasshopper
        Eritettix abortivus  Texas Short-winged Slant-faced Grasshopper
        Schistocerca sp.  Bird Grasshopper (nymph)
        Schistocerca americana  American Bird Grasshopper

    mantodea  mantidae  Stagmomantis carolina  Carolina Mantis (eggs)

    neuroptera  chrysopidae  Chrysoperla sp.  Green Lacewing
      hemerobiidae  Micromus sp.  Brown Lacewing

    araneae  thomisidae  Mecaphesa sp.  Crab Spider
      corinnidae  Trachelas sp.  Spider
      lycosidae  Unknown sp.  Wolf Spider
      dictynidae  Unknown sp.  Meshweb Weaver
      oecobiidae  Oecobius sp.  Wall Spider

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