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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey April 4, 2013


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

Five volunteers participated in this week's survey; conditions were cold, heavily overcast, and windy. The weather definitely discouraged flying insects, but recent rains and fresh foliage were a boon to caterpillars and we found a good number of them. But moth and butterfly caterpillars are not the only larvae feeding on leaves. Sawfly larvae (see below) are also partaking of the leafy feast.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Litodonta hydromeli (prominent, larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Lactura sp. (moth, larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Ethmia sp. (ethmia moth, larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Psaphida rolandi (Roland's sallow, larva)
photo by Harriett Wolf


Papilio cresphontes (giant swallowtail, very young larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Eurema nicippe (sleepy orange, larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (sawfly, larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Pyrgus philetas (desert checkered-skipper)
photo by Val Bugh


Pococera asperatella (maple webworm moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Hypercompe scribonia (great leopard moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Maliattha synochitis (black-dotted lithocodia)
photo by Val Bugh


Acoloithus novaricus (false skeletonizer moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Hemierana marginata (long-horned beetle)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (green lacewing)
photo by Val Bugh


Podisus maculiventris & Euschistus tristigmus
(comparison of predatory & plant-feeding stink bugs)
photo by Val Bugh


Gasteruption sp. (carrot wasp)
photo by Val Bugh


Ancistrocerus unifasciatus (mason wasp)
photo by Val Bugh


Polistes apachus (paper wasp)
photo by Val Bugh


Platypalpus sp. (hybotid dance fly)
photo by Val Bugh


Nephrotoma sp. (tiger crane fly)
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii)
    Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus)
    Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)
    Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
    Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)
    Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
    Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)
    Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus)
    House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus)
    Hummingbird (Archilochus sp.)
    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-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)

  • Misc.:
    Garden Snail (Otala lactea)
    Striped Bark Scorpion (Centruroides vittatus)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Agraulis vanillae  Gulf Fritillary (larva & pupa)
        Thessalia theona  Theona Checkerspot
        Junonia coenia  Common Buckeye
      papilionidae  Papilio cresphontes  Giant Swallowtail (larva)
      pieridae  Eurema nicippe  Sleepy Orange (larva)
        Nathalis iole  Dainty Sulphur
        Phoebis sennae  Cloudless Sulphur
      lycaenidae  Callophrys henrici  Henry's Elfin (larva)
      hesperiidae  Pyrgus communis/albescens  Common Checkered-skipper
        Pyrgus philetas  Desert Checkered-skipper
      noctuidae  Alypia octomaculata  Eight-spotted Forester
        Ponometia candefacta  Olive-shaded Bird Dropping Moth
        Aon noctuiformis  Moth
        Maliattha synochitis  Black-dotted Lithocodia
        Psaphida rolandi  Roland's Sallow (larva)
        Psychomorpha epimenis  Grapevine Epimenis (larva)
      arctiidae  Estigmene acrea  Saltmarsh Moth (larva)
        Hypercompe scribonia  Great Leopard Moth
        Cisthene barnesii  Lichen Moth
      notodontidae  Litodonta hydromeli  Prominent (larva)
      geometridae  Tornos scolopacinaria  Moth
        Glena quinquelinearia  Five-lined Glena
        Holochroa dissociarius  Moth
        Chlorochlamys chloroleucaria  Blackberry Looper Moth
        Unknown sp.  Moth (larva)
        Phigalia strigataria  Small Phigalia (larva)
      pyralidae  Homoeosoma electella  Sunflower Moth
        Pococera asperatella  Maple Webworm Moth
      tortricidae  Unknown sp.  Leafroller (larva)
      lacturidae  Lactura sp.  Moth (adult & larva)
      elachistidae  Ethmia semilugens  Ethmia Moth
        Ethmia zelleriella  Zeller's Ethmia
        Ethmia sp.  Ethmia Moth (larva)
      xyloryctidae  Scythris fuscicomella  Moth
      zygaenidae  Acoloithus novaricus  False Skeletonizer Moth
      ypsolophidae  Ypsolopha unicipunctella  Agarita Slug Moth (adult & larva)
      pterophoridae  Adaina ambrosiae  Ambrosia Plume Moth

    coleoptera  coccinellidae  Coccinella septempunctata  Seven-spotted Ladybird (adult & larva)
        Hippodamia convergens  Convergent Ladybird
        Cycloneda sanguinea  Red Ladybird (adult & larva)
        Harmonia axyridis  Multi-colored Asian Ladybird
      chrysomelidae  Asphaera lustrans  Flea Beetle
        Phyllobrotica limbata  Leaf Beetle
      bostrichidae  Melalgus plicatus  Powder-post Beetle
      mordellidae  Mordellistena cervicalis  Tumbling Flower Beetle
      cerambycidae  Hemierana marginata  Long-horned Beetle

    hemiptera  lygaeidae  Nysius sp.  False Chinch Bug
      miridae  Lopidea major  Plant Bug
        Halticotoma valida  Yucca Plant Bug (adult & nymph)
        Polymerus basalis  Plant Bug
        Phoenicocoris claricornis  Plant Bug
      reduviidae  Zelus renardii  Assassin Bug
      pentatomidae  Euschistus servus  Brown Stink Bug
        Euschistus tristigmus  Stink Bug
        Menecles portacrus  Stink Bug
        Podisus maculiventris  Predatory Stink Bug

    hymenoptera  vespidae  Polistes exclamans  Paper Wasp
        Polistes bellicosus  Paper Wasp
        Polistes apachus  Paper Wasp
        Ancistrocerus unifasciatus  Mason Wasp
        Euodynerus annulatus  Mason Wasp
      gasteruptiidae  Gasteruption sp.  Carrot Wasp
      formicidae  Solenopsis invicta  Imported Fire Ant

    diptera  anthomyiidae  Unknown sp.  Root Maggot Fly
      tachinidae  Cylindromyia sp.  Tachinid Fly
      therevidae  Ozodiceromyia sp.  Stiletto Fly
      hybotidae  Platypalpus sp.  Hybotid Dance Fly
      tipulidae  Tipula sp.  Crane Fly
        Unknown sp.  Crane Fly
        Nephrotoma sp.  Tiger Crane Fly

    orthoptera  acrididae  Schistocerca nitens  Gray Bird Grasshopper (nymph)
      tettigoniidae  Scudderia furcata  Fork-tailed Bush Katydid (nymph)
        Dichopetala catinata  Spoon-tailed Short-winged Katydid (nymph)

    neuroptera  chrysopidae  Unknown sp.  Green Lacewing

    araneae  araneidae  Metepeira sp.  Orbweaver
      thomisidae  Mecaphesa sp.  Crab Spider
      miturgidae  Cheiracanthium inclusum  Sac Spider

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