previousindexnext   
  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey February 28, 2013


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

It was uncomfortably cold as four participants completed this week's survey. The clouds cleared only around 11:30 AM. Just as with tracks or scat, sometimes we do not see the actual creature, but only clues to its existence. Shown below are three examples involving insects: a gall encasing a fly larva, a mantis egg case, and scale insects living sequestered beneath protective shells.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Enicospilus sp. (ichneumon)
photo by Val Bugh


Tipula sp. (crane fly)
photo by Val Bugh


Neodeceia sp. (lauxaniid fly)
photo by Val Bugh


Senopterina caerulescens (signal fly)
photo by Val Bugh


butterflies too cold to fly: American snout, dainty sulphur,
gray hairstreak & sleepy orange
photo by Val Bugh


Brephidium exile (western pygmy-blue)
photo by Val Bugh


Colias eurytheme (orange sulphur)
photo by Val Bugh


Acronicta tota (dagger)
photo by Val Bugh


Litodonta hydromeli (prominent)
photo by Val Bugh


Eupithecia bolterii (pug)
photo by Val Bugh


Nemoria zygotaria (emerald)
photo by Val Bugh


Ephestia kuehniella (Mediterranean flour moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Ephestiodes sp. (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Lycia ypsilon (woolly gray: male & female)
photo by Val Bugh


Walshomyia sabinae (gall midge larva on juniper)
photo by Val Bugh


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


Mesolecanium nigrofasciatum (terrapin scale)
photo by Val Bugh


Centruroides vittatus (striped bark scorpion)
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus)
    Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)
    Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
    Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
    Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)
    House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus)
    Lesser Goldfinch (Carduelis psaltria)
    Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
    Western Scrub-jay (Aphelocoma californica)
    White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)

  • Mammals:
    White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)
    Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)

  • Amphibians:
    Rio Grande Leopard Frog (Rana berlandieri)

  • Misc.:
    Striped Bark Scorpion (Centruroides vittatus)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Agraulis vanillae  Gulf Fritillary (larva)
        Thessalia theona  Theona Checkerspot (larva)
        Libytheana carinenta  American Snout
      pieridae  Colias eurytheme  Orange Sulphur
        Eurema nicippe  Sleepy Orange
        Nathalis iole  Dainty Sulphur
      lycaenidae  Hemiargus isola  Reakirt's Blue
        Strymon melinus  Gray Hairstreak
        Callophrys henrici  Henry's Elfin
        Brephidium exile  Western Pygmy-blue
      hesperiidae  Pyrgus philetas  Desert Checkered-skipper
      noctuidae  Aon noctuiformis  Moth
        Unknown sp.  Moth (larva)
        Acronicta tota  Dagger
        Lacinipolia erecta  Moth
        Psaphida resumens  Figure-eight Sallow
        Charadra dispulsa  Moth
        Catabena lineolata  Fine-lined Sallow
        Hypena scabra  Green Cloverworm Moth
      arctiidae  Estigmene acrea  Saltmarsh Moth
      nolidae  Meganola minuscula  Confused Meganola
      notodontidae  Schizura errucata  Prominent
        Litodonta hydromeli  Prominent
      geometridae  Eubaphe unicolor  Moth
        Costaconvexa centrostrigaria  Bent-line Carpet
        Digrammia californiaria  Moth
        Digrammia atrofasciata  Moth
        Pero meskaria  Moth
        Nemoria zygotaria  Emerald
        Eupithecia bolterii  Pug
        Eupithecia sp.  Pug
        Phigalia strigataria  Small Phigalia
        Phigalia titea  The Halfwing
        Lycia ypsilon  Woolly Gray
      crambidae  Palpita quadristigmalis  Four-spotted Palpita
        Udea rubigalis  Celery Leaftier Moth
      pyralidae  Ephestia kuehniella  Mediterranean Flour Moth
        Ephestiodes sp.  Moth
      lacturidae  Lactura sp.  Moth
      elachistidae  Ethmia semilugens  Ethmia Moth
        Ethmia hagenella  Ethmia Moth
      pterophoridae  Adaina ambrosiae  Ambrosia Plume Moth
      acrolepiidae  Acrolepiopsis leucoscia  Moth

    coleoptera  coccinellidae  Coccinella septempunctata  Seven-spotted Ladybird
        Harmonia axyridis  Multi-colored Asian Ladybird
      chrysomelidae  Diabrotica undecimpunctata  Spotted Cucumber Beetle
        Asphaera lustrans  Flea Beetle
      cleridae  Monophylla terminata  Checkered Beetle
      carabidae  Pasimachus sp.  Ground Beetle
      curculionidae  Hypera postica  Weevil
        Tyloderma foveolatum  Weevil

    hemiptera  lygaeidae  Nysius sp.  False Chinch Bug
      rhyparochromidae  Neopamera bilobata  Seed Bug
      miridae  Lopidea major  Plant Bug (nymph)

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Neokolla dolobrata  Leafhopper
        Empoasca sp.  Leafhopper
      coccidae  Mesolecanium nigrofasciatum  Terrapin Scale

    hymenoptera  apidae  Apis mellifera  Honey Bee
      ichneumonidae  Enicospilus sp.  Ichneumon

    diptera  syrphidae  Copestylum marginatum  Flower Fly
      platystomatidae  Senopterina caerulescens  Signal Fly
      lauxaniidae  Neodeceia sp.  Lauxaniid Fly
      calliphoridae  Cynomya cadaverina  Bluebottle Fly
      tachinidae  Unknown sp.  Tachinid Fly
        Trichopoda plumipes  Feather-legged Fly
        Peleteria sp.  Tachinid Fly
      tipulidae  Tipula sp.  Crane Fly
      cecidomyiidae  Walshomyia sabinae  Gall Midge (larva)

    orthoptera  acrididae  Lactista aztecus  Aztec Bandwing (adult & nymph)
        Eritettix abortivus  Texas Short-winged Slant-faced 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  dictynidae  Dictyna sp.  Meshweb Weaver
      lycosidae  Unknown sp.  Wolf Spider
      salticidae  Habronattus fallax  Jumping Spider

previousindexnext   
  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey February 28, 2013