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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey April 25, 2013


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

Cloudy skies and cool temperatures provided comfortable conditions for our seven participants in this week's survey. Many butterflies and moths cannot fly when the temperature is too low, so we saw very few of the former and the latter were mostly just resting. Some moths, though, can warm up their flight muscles by vibrating their wings. The tiger moth shown below is demonstrating this capability.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Cuerna costalis (leafhopper just molted, with old skin at right)
photo by Val Bugh


Lepyronia quadrangularis (spittlebug nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Bruchomorpha sp. (piglet bug)
photo by Val Bugh


Zelus tetracanthus (four-spined assassin bug eating midge)
photo by Val Bugh


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


Camponotus sp. (carpenter ant)
photo by Val Bugh


Megachile sp. (leaf-cutter bee, male)
photo by Val Bugh


Pygarctia roseicapitis (tiger moth vibrating flight muscles)
photo by Val Bugh


Arta epicoenalis (arta moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Pyrausta tyralis (coffee-loving pyrausta moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Hemiargus isola (Reakirt's blue, male)
photo by Val Bugh


Anaea aidea (tropical leafwing, larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Alypia octomaculata (eight-spotted forester, larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Chlorochlamys chloroleucaria (blackberry looper, larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Amblycorypha sp. (false katydid, nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Hesperotettix speciosus (showy grasshopper, nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Moneilema armatum (cactus longhorn)
photo by Val Bugh


Lycus fernandezi (net-winged beetle)
photo by Val Bugh


Pelegrina galathea (peppered jumper, male)
photo by Val Bugh


Mecaphesa sp. (crab spider eating flower moth larva)
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
    Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii)
    Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus)
    Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)
    Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)
    Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)
    Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
    Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica)
    Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
    Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)
    House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus)
    Hummingbird (Archilochus sp.)
    Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria)
    Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
    Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
    White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus)
    White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)

  • Mammals:
    Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)

  • Amphibians:
    Rio Grande Leopard Frog (Rana berlandieri)

  • Misc.:
    Garden Snail (Otala lactea)
    Earthworm (Unknown sp.)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Chlosyne lacinia  Bordered Patch (larva)
        Agraulis vanillae  Gulf Fritillary (pupa & larva)
        Euptoieta claudia  Variegated Fritillary (larva)
        Junonia coenia  Common Buckeye (larva)
        Anaea aidea  Tropical Leafwing (larva)
      pieridae  Nathalis iole  Dainty Sulphur
        Colias eurytheme  Orange Sulphur
        Pontia protodice  Checkered White
      lycaenidae  Hemiargus isola  Reakirt's Blue
      hesperiidae  Pyrgus communis/albescens  Common/White Checkered-skipper
      noctuidae  Alypia octomaculata  Eight-spotted Forester (adult & larva)
        Ponometia phecolisca  Bird Dropping Moth
        Ponometia candefacta  Olive-shaded Bird Dropping Moth
        Schinia sp.  Flower Moth (larva)
      arctiidae  Estigmene acrea  Saltmarsh Moth (larva)
        Lycomorpha pholus  Black-and-yellow Lichen Moth
        Cisthene barnesii  Lichen Moth
        Pygarctia roseicapitis  Tiger Moth
      notodontidae  Schizura errucata  Prominent
      sphingidae  Hyles lineata  White-lined Sphinx (larva)
      geometridae  Lobocleta peralbata  White Wave
        Tornos scolopacinaria  Moth
        Chlorochlamys chloroleucaria  Blackberry Looper (adult & larva)
        Digrammia sp.  Moth
      crambidae  Uresiphita reversalis  Genista Caterpillar Moth
        Urola nivalis  Snowy Urola
        Pyrausta tyralis  Coffee-loving Pyrausta Moth
        Achyra rantalis  Garden Webworm Moth
      pyralidae  Homoeosoma electella  Sunflower Moth
        Parachma ochracealis  Moth
        Arta epicoenalis  Arta Moth
      zygaenidae  Harrisina coracina  Grapeleaf Skeletonizer Moth
      lacturidae  Lactura sp.  Moth (larva)
      coleophoridae  Blastobasis sp.  Moth
      xyloryctidae  Scythris fuscicomella  Moth
      acrolophidae  Acrolophus mortipennella  Tubeworm Moth

    coleoptera  coccinellidae  Coccinella septempunctata  Seven-spotted Ladybird
        Hippodamia convergens  Convergent Ladybird
        Cycloneda munda  Ladybird Beetle (larva)
      chrysomelidae  Systena hudsonias  Flea Beetle
        Diabrotica undecimpunctata  Spotted Cucumber Beetle
        Brachypnoea sp.  Leaf Beetle
        Phyllobrotica limbata  Leaf Beetle
        Saxinis sinuata  Leaf Beetle
        Lema trabeata  Leaf Beetle
        Cryptocephalus notatus  Leaf Beetle
      buprestidae  Acmaeodera ornatoides  Metallic Woodborer
      cerambycidae  Moneilema armatum  Cactus Longhorn
      mordellidae  Mordellistena cervicalis  Tumbling Flower Beetle
      meloidae  Nemognatha sp.  Blister Beetle
      lycidae  Lycus fernandezi  Net-winged Beetle
      scraptiidae  Allopoda sp.  False Flower Beetle
      anthribidae  Trigonorhinus limbatus  Fungus Weevil
      attelabidae  Haplorhynchites sp.  Flower Weevil
      curculionidae  Rhinocyllus conicus  Weevil

    hemiptera  coreidae  Leptoglossus phyllopus  Eastern Leaf-footed Bug
        Chelinidea vittiger  Opuntia Bug (nymph)
        Chelinidea tabulata  Opuntia Bug (nymph)
        Narnia femorata  Cactus Bug
      miridae  Polymerus basalis  Plant Bug
        Taedia sp.  Plant Bug
        Oncerometopus sp.  Plant Bug
      lygaeidae  Lygaeus kalmii  Small Milkweed Bug
        Oncopeltus fasciatus  Large Milkweed Bug
      anthocoridae  Orius sp.  Minute Pirate Bug
      reduviidae  Zelus tetracanthus  Four-spined Assassin Bug
      scutelleridae  Sphyrocoris obliquus  Shield Bug
      pentatomidae  Chlorochroa ligata  Conchuela (adult & nymph)
        Chinavia hilare  Green Stink Bug
        Thyanta custator  Stink Bug

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Neokolla dolobrata  Leafhopper
        Neokolla sp.  Leafhopper (nymph)
        Neokolla uhleri  Leafhopper
        Texananus sp.  Leafhopper (nymph)
        Cuerna costalis  Leafhopper (adult & nymph)
      membracidae  Ceresa sp.  Treehopper (adult & nymph)
      cercopidae  Lepyronia quadrangularis  Spittlebug (nymph)
        Clastoptera sp.  Spittlebug
      caliscelidae  Bruchomorpha sp.  Piglet Bug

    hymenoptera  apidae  Apis mellifera  Honey Bee
        Diadasia afflicta  Digger Bee
        Xylocopa parkinsoniae  Large Carpenter Bee
        Xylocopa micans  Southern Carpenter Bee
      megachilidae  Megachile sp.  Leaf-cutter Bee
        Unknown sp.  Leaf-cutter Bee
      andrenidae  Protandrena sp.  Bee
      vespidae  Polistes exclamans  Paper Wasp
        Stenodynerus sp.  Mason Wasp
      pompilidae  Poecilopompilus interruptus  Spider Wasp
      braconidae  Unknown sp.  Braconid Wasp
      formicidae  Camponotus sp.  Carpenter Ant

    diptera  syrphidae  Copestylum avidum  Flower Fly
      tachinidae  Unknown spp.  Tachinid Fly
        Microphthalma sp.  Tachinid Fly
      bombyliidae  Neacreotrichus sp.  Bee Fly
      agromyzidae  Unknown sp.  Leaf-miner Fly
      dolichopodidae  Condylostylus sp.  Long-legged Fly
      sarcophagidae  Unknown sp.  Flesh Fly
      tephritidae  Neotephritis finalis  Fruit Fly
      empididae  Unknown sp.  Dance Fly
      chironomidae  Unknown sp.  Midge
      limoniidae  Unknown sp.  Crane Fly

    orthoptera  acrididae  Chortophaga viridifasciata  Northern Green-striped Grasshopper
        Arphia sp.  Band-winged Grasshopper (nymph)
        Mermiria sp.  Slant-faced Grasshopper (nymph)
        Melanoplus differentialis  Differential Grasshopper (nymph)
        Melanoplus ponderosus  Ponderous Grasshopper (nymph)
        Paraidemona sp.  Spur-throated Grasshopper (nymph)
        Hesperotettix speciosus  Showy Grasshopper (nymph)
      tettigoniidae  Scudderia furcata  Fork-tailed Bush Katydid (nymph)
        Dichopetala catinata  Spoon-tailed Short-winged Katydid (nymph)
        Arethaea ambulator  Walking Thread-legged Katydid (adult & nymph)
        Pediodectes nigromarginatus  Black-margined Shieldback (nymph)
        Amblycorypha sp.  False Katydid (nymph)
        Conocephalus strictus  Straight-lanced Meadow Katydid (nymph)
      mogoplistidae  Cycloptilum sp.  Scaly Cricket (nymph)

    isoptera  rhinotermitidae  Reticulitermes sp.  Subterranean Termite

    raphidioptera  raphidiidae  Agulla bicolor  Snakefly

    thysanoptera  thripidae  Unknown sp.  Thrips
      aeolothripidae  Aeolothrips sp.  Predatory Thrips

    araneae  thomisidae  Mecaphesa sp.  Crab Spider
      anyphaenidae  Hibana sp.  Ghost Spider
      salticidae  Pelegrina galathea  Peppered Jumper
        Habronattus cognatus  Jumping Spider
      oxyopidae  Oxyopes salticus  Striped Lynx
        Peucetia viridans  Green Lynx
      tetragnathidae  Tetragnatha laboriosa  Silver Long-jawed Orbweaver
      theridiidae  Theridion sp.  Cobweb Weaver

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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey April 25, 2013