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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey February 21, 2013


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

Four volunteers experienced the arrival of a dramatic cold front (see below) during this survey, which turned the morning from warm and humid to clear and cool. The pond snails illustrated here belong to a family with a rather unusual feature: their shells spiral left-handed, or sinistral, unlike most snails which have a dextral, or right-handed twist.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Chioides albofasciatus (white-striped longtail)
photo by Val Bugh


Euptoieta claudia (variegated fritillary caterpillar
about to pupate)
photo by Val Bugh


Schizura errucata (prominent)
photo by Val Bugh


Aon noctuiformis (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Emarginea percara (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Acrolepiopsis leucoscia (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Eugnosta sp. (leafroller moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Holochroa dissociarius (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Dolba hyloeus (pawpaw sphinx)
photo by Val Bugh


Spilosoma congrua (agreeable tiger moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Sympistis perscripta (scribbled sallow)
photo by Val Bugh


Zale intenta (bold-based zale)
photo by Val Bugh


Apis mellifera (honey bee drinking water)
photo by Val Bugh


Cycloneda sanguinea (red ladybird eating aphid)
photo by Val Bugh


Liris sp. (cricket wasp)
photo by Val Bugh


Dictyna sp. (meshweb weaver with prey in its web)
photo by Val Bugh


Xysticus sp. (crab spider)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (pond snails, family physidae)
photo by Val Bugh


the arrival of the cold front over the Wildflower Meadow
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
    Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)
    Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
    Crested Caracara (Caracara cheriway)
    Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
    Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)
    House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus)
    Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria)
    Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
    Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
    Western Scrub-jay (Aphelocoma californica)

  • Misc.:
    Banded Slug (Lehmannia valentiana)
    Garden Snail (Otala lactea)
    Globular Drop (Helicina orbiculata)
    Pond Snail (Unknown sp.)
    Pillbug (Armadillidium vulgare)
    Millipede (Unknown sp.)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Agraulis vanillae  Gulf Fritillary (larva)
        Euptoieta claudia  Variegated Fritillary (larva & exuviae)
        Thessalia theona  Theona Checkerspot (larva)
        Libytheana carinenta  American Snout
        Vanessa atalanta  Red Admiral
        Phyciodes tharos  Pearl Crescent
      papilionidae  Papilio polyxenes  Black Swallowtail
      pieridae  Colias cesonia  Southern Dogface
        Colias eurytheme  Orange Sulphur
        Eurema nicippe  Sleepy Orange
        Nathalis iole  Dainty Sulphur
        Phoebis sennae  Cloudless Sulphur
      lycaenidae  Hemiargus isola  Reakirt's Blue
        Strymon melinus  Gray Hairstreak
        Callophrys henrici  Henry's Elfin
        Atlides halesus  Great Purple Hairstreak
      hesperiidae  Pyrgus communis/albescens  Common/White Checkered-skipper
        Pyrgus philetas  Desert Checkered-skipper
        Chioides albofasciatus  White-striped Longtail
      noctuidae  Aon noctuiformis  Moth
        Megalographa biloba  Bilobed Looper Moth
        Phoberia atomaris  Common Oak Moth
        Dypterygia patina  Moth
        Sympistis perscripta  Scribbled Sallow
        Psaphida resumens  Figure-eight Sallow
        Psychomorpha epimenis  Grapevine Epimenis
        Plusiodonta compressipalpis  Moonseed Moth
        Catabena lineolata  Fine-lined Sallow
        Apamea cariosa  Moth
        Emarginea percara  Moth
        Hypena scabra  Green Cloverworm Moth
        Feltia subterranea  Subterranean Dart
        Anicla infecta  Green Cutworm Moth
        Spodoptera ornithogalli  Yellow-striped Armyworm Moth
        Zale intenta  Bold-based Zale
      arctiidae  Estigmene acrea  Saltmarsh Moth
        Spilosoma congrua  Agreeable Tiger Moth
      nolidae  Meganola minuscula  Confused Meganola
      notodontidae  Schizura errucata  Prominent
      sphingidae  Dolba hyloeus  Pawpaw Sphinx
      geometridae  Caripeta triangulata  Moth
        Lobocleta ossularia  Drab Brown Wave
        Anavitrinella atristrigaria  Gulf Coast Gray
        Pimaphera percata  Moth
        Holochroa dissociarius  Moth
        Nemoria zygotaria  Emerald
        Chlorochlamys chloroleucaria  Blackberry Looper Moth
        Phaeoura quernaria  Oak Beauty
        Phigalia strigataria  Small Phigalia
        Phigalia titea  The Halfwing
        Lycia ypsilon  Woolly Gray
      crambidae  Nomophila nearctica  Lucerne Moth
        Diastictis fracturalis  Moth
      tortricidae  Chimoptesis pennsylvaniana  Filigreed Moth
        Pseudexentera knudsoni  Leafroller Moth
        Eugnosta sp.  Leafroller Moth
        Epinotia celtisana  Leafroller Moth
        Sereda tautana  Leafroller Moth
        Platynota flavedana  Black-shaded Platynota Moth
      lacturidae  Lactura sp.  Moth
      elachistidae  Ethmia semilugens  Ethmia Moth
        Ethmia zelleriella  Zeller's Ethmia
        Ethmia hagenella  Ethmia Moth
      copromorphidae  Ellabella melanoclista  Tropical Fruitworm Moth
      ypsolophidae  Ypsolopha unicipunctella  Agarita Slug Moth
      yponomeutidae  Atteva aurea  Ailanthus Webworm Moth
      lasiocampidae  Phyllodesma americana  Lappet Moth
      acrolepiidae  Acrolepiopsis leucoscia  Moth
      xyloryctidae  Scythris trivinctella  Moth
      coleophoridae  Blastobasis sp.  Moth

    coleoptera  coccinellidae  Coccinella septempunctata  Seven-spotted Ladybird (adult & larva)
        Harmonia axyridis  Multi-colored Asian Ladybird
        Cycloneda sanguinea  Red Ladybird
        Cycloneda munda  Ladybird Beetle
        Psyllobora renifer  Ladybird Beetle
      chrysomelidae  Diabrotica undecimpunctata  Spotted Cucumber Beetle
        Asphaera lustrans  Flea Beetle
      cerambycidae  Ataxia crypta  Long-horned Beetle
      carabidae  Pasimachus sp.  Ground Beetle
      curculionidae  Hypera postica  Weevil
        Tyloderma foveolatum  Weevil

    hemiptera  reduviidae  Zelus renardii  Assassin Bug
      miridae  Halticotoma valida  Yucca Plant Bug (adult & nymph)
        Lopidea major  Plant Bug (nymph)

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Graphocephala versuta  Leafhopper
        Neokolla dolobrata  Leafhopper
        Cuerna costalis  Leafhopper
      aphididae  Unknown sp.  Aphid

    hymenoptera  apidae  Apis mellifera  Honey Bee
      megachilidae  Osmia ribifloris  Mason Bee
      crabronidae  Liris sp.  Cricket Wasp
      vespidae  Polistes exclamans  Paper Wasp

    diptera  syrphidae  Copestylum marginatum  Flower Fly
        Syritta pipiens  Flower Fly
        Eupeodes americanus  Flower Fly
        Toxomerus marginatus  Flower Fly
      anthomyiidae  Unknown sp.  Root Maggot Fly
      sarcophagidae  Unknown sp.  Flesh Fly
      tachinidae  Phasia sp.  Tachinid Fly
      tipulidae  Tipula sp.  Crane Fly

    odonata  lestidae  Lestes alacer  Plateau Spreadwing

    orthoptera  acrididae  Chortophaga viridifasciata  Northern Green-striped Grasshopper (adult & nymph)
        Arphia sp.  Band-winged Grasshopper (nymph)
        Schistocerca sp.  Bird Grasshopper (nymph)
        Schistocerca americana  American Bird Grasshopper
      tetrigidae  Paratettix mexicanus  Pygmy Grasshopper

    mantodea  mantidae  Stagmomantis carolina  Carolina Mantis (egg case)

    dermaptera  anisolabididae  Euborellia annulipes  Ring-legged Earwig

    neuroptera  chrysopidae  Chrysoperla sp.  Green Lacewing

    araneae  philodromidae  Philodromus sp.  Running Crab Spider
      thomisidae  Xysticus sp.  Crab Spider
      gnaphosidae  Cesonia bilineata  Two-striped Ground Spider
      dictynidae  Dictyna sp.  Meshweb Weaver
      lycosidae  Unknown sp.  Wolf Spider
      salticidae  Phidippus audax  Bold Jumper
        Habronattus fallax  Jumping Spider

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