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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey May 30, 2013


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

Light rain punctuated a mostly cloudy and very warm morning as four participants completed this week's survey. The Camouflaged Looper is the larva of the Southern Emerald, a lovely green moth. The debris carried by the caterpillar consists of remnants of whatever plant it happens to be eating, in this case bits of grass and a piece of flower petal. The insect produces silk from its mouth to hold the stuff in place.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Synchlora frondaria (camouflaged looper or southern emerald larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Acoloithus novaricus (false skeletonizer larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Erynnis horatius (Horace's duskywing larva & retreat)
photo by Val Bugh


Melipotis indomita (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Vitacea polistiformis (grape root borer moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Acrolophus texanella (tubeworm moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Honora mellinella (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Isophrictis similiella (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Systasea pulverulenta (Texas powdered-skipper)
photo by Val Bugh


Atlides halesus (great purple hairstreak)
photo by Val Bugh


Atomosia puella (robber fly)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (tachinid fly)
photo by Val Bugh


Phyllophaga sp. (June beetle)
photo by Val Bugh


Fidia sp. (leaf beetle)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (green lacewing larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Ormenis sp. (flatid planthopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Zelus renardii (assassin bug)
photo by Val Bugh


Argia translata (dusky dancer female)
photo by Val Bugh


Pachydiplax longipennis (blue dasher)
photo by Val Bugh


Dichopetala catinata (spoon-tailed short-winged katydid, male)
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
    Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii)
    Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri)
    Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus)
    Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)
    Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)
    Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)
    Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
    Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota)
    Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
    Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus)
    Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)
    House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus)
    Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria)
    Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
    Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus)
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
    Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris)
    Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
    White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus)
    White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)
    Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus)

  • Mammals:
    Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)
    Roof Rat (Rattus rattus)
    Hispid Cotton Rat (Sigmodon hispidus)
    Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus), nest with babies

  • Reptiles:
    Mediterranean Gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Danaus gilippus  Queen
        Phyciodes tharos  Pearl Crescent
        Phyciodes texana  Texan Crescent
        Anaea andria  Goatweed Leafwing
      pieridae  Nathalis iole  Dainty Sulphur
        Eurema nicippe  Sleepy Orange
      lycaenidae  Hemiargus isola  Reakirt's Blue
        Strymon melinus  Gray Hairstreak (adult & larva)
        Atlides halesus  Great Purple Hairstreak
        Callophrys gryneus  Juniper Hairstreak
      papilionidae  Papilio cresphontes  Giant Swallowtail
      hesperiidae  Pyrgus communis/albescens  Common/White Checkered-skipper
        Erynnis horatius  Horace's Duskywing (larva)
        Systasea pulverulenta  Texas Powdered-skipper
        Chioides albofasciatus  White-striped Longtail
      noctuidae  Ponometia candefacta  Olive-shaded Bird Dropping Moth
        Tarache quadriplaga  Bird Dropping Moth
        Plusiodonta compressipalpis  Moonseed Moth
        Melipotis indomita  Moth
        Aon noctuiformis  Moth
      arctiidae  Estigmene acrea  Saltmarsh Moth (larva)
      saturniidae  Hyalophora cecropia  Cecropia Moth (larva)
      geometridae  Pimaphera percata  Moth
        Synchlora frondaria  Camouflaged Looper (larva)
      crambidae  Eoreuma densella  Wainscot Grass-veneer Moth
        Glaphyria sequistrialis  White-roped Glaphyria
      pyralidae  Honora mellinella  Moth
        Ephestiodes sp.  Moth
      tortricidae  Eucosma consobrinana  Leafroller Moth
        Cudonigera houstonana  Juniper Budworm Moth
      megalopygidae  Megalopyge opercularis  Southern Flannel Moth
      gelechiidae  Brachyacma palpigera  Soybean Webworm Moth
        Isophrictis similiella  Moth
      ypsolophidae  Ypsolopha unicipunctella  Agarita Slug Moth
      oecophoridae  Antaeotricha humilis  Moth
      tineidae  Amydria sp.  Moth
      sesiidae  Vitacea polistiformis  Grape Root Borer Moth
      zygaenidae  Acoloithus novaricus  False Skeletonizer (larva)
      acrolophidae  Acrolophus texanella  Tubeworm Moth
        Acrolophus mortipennella  Tubeworm Moth
        Acrolophus griseus  Tubeworm Moth

    coleoptera  coccinellidae  Hippodamia convergens  Convergent Ladybird
        Cycloneda sanguinea  Red Ladybird
        Coccinella septempunctata  Seven-spotted Ladybird
        Scymnus sp.  Ladybird Beetle (larva)
      chrysomelidae  Saxinis sinuata  Leaf Beetle
        Fidia sp.  Leaf Beetle
        Asphaera lustrans  Flea Beetle
      cerambycidae  Sternidius mimeticus  Long-horned Beetle
        Strangalia virilis  Flower Longhorn
      tenebrionidae  Eleodes goryi  Darkling Beetle
        Eleodes fusiformis  Darkling Beetle
      scarabaeidae  Phyllophaga sp.  June Beetle
      attelabidae  Homoeolabus analis  Oak Leaf Roller (leaf rolls)

    hemiptera  coreidae  Mozena lunata  Mesquite Bug
        Catorhintha selector  Coreid Bug
        Hypselonotus punctiventris  Coreid Bug
        Acanthocephala terminalis  Coreid Bug (adult & nymph)
      rhopalidae  Harmostes sp.  Scentless Plant Bug
      miridae  Poecilocapsus lineatus  Four-lined Plant Bug
        Calocoris barberi  Plant Bug
      gerridae  Unknown sp.  Water Strider (adult & nymph)
      veliidae  Microvelia sp.  Small Water Strider (adult & nymph)
      reduviidae  Zelus renardii  Assassin Bug (adult & nymph)
        Zelus tetracanthus  Four-spined Assassin Bug (nymph)
        Sinea sp.  Spined Assassin Bug
        Apiomerus spissipes  Bee Assassin
      pentatomidae  Chinavia hilare  Green Stink Bug
        Chlorochroa ligata  Conchuela (adult & nymph)

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Neokolla dolobrata  Leafhopper
        Cuerna costalis  Leafhopper
        Homalodisca vitripennis  Glassy-winged Sharpshooter
      flatidae  Ormenis sp.  Planthopper
      cercopidae  Clastoptera sp.  Spittlebug
      issidae  Dictyonissus griphus  Planthopper (adult & nymph)
        Thionia acuta  Planthopper
      aphididae  Aphis nerii  Oleander Aphid

    hymenoptera  apidae  Apis mellifera  Honey Bee
        Centris atripes  Digger Bee
        Anthophora californica  Digger Bee
        Xylocopa parkinsoniae  Large Carpenter Bee
        Xylocopa micans  Southern Carpenter Bee
      halictidae  Agapostemon sp.  Green Sweat Bee
        Lasioglossum sp.  Sweat Bee
      vespidae  Polistes exclamans  Paper Wasp
        Polistes dorsalis  Paper Wasp
        Polistes carolina  Red Wasp
        Vespula squamosa  Southern Yellowjacket (queen)
      sphecidae  Ammophila sp.  Thread-waisted Wasp
        Chalybion sp.  Blue Mud Dauber
        Sceliphron caementarium  Yellow-and-black Mud Dauber
      crabronidae  Tachysphex sp.  Wasp
      pompilidae  Pepsis sp.  Spider Wasp

    diptera  syrphidae  Allograpta obliqua  Flower Fly
        Copestylum mexicana  Black Flower Fly
        Palpada furcata  Flower Fly
        Ocyptamus fascipennis  Flower Fly
      tachinidae  Trichopoda pennipes  Feather-legged Fly
        Xanthomelanodes sp.  Tachinid Fly
        Unknown sp.  Tachinid Fly
      asilidae  Atomosia puella  Robber Fly
      tephritidae  Neotephritis finalis  Fruit Fly
      dolichopodidae  Unknown sp.  Long-legged Fly
      culicidae  Aedes albopictus  Asian Tiger Mosquito

    odonata  coenagrionidae  Ischnura ramburii  Rambur's Forktail
        Argia plana  Springwater Dancer
        Argia translata  Dusky Dancer
      libellulidae  Pachydiplax longipennis  Blue Dasher

    orthoptera  acrididae  Schistocerca nitens  Gray Bird Grasshopper
        Lactista aztecus  Aztec Bandwing (nymph)
        Mermiria sp.  Slant-faced Grasshopper (nymph)
        Hesperotettix speciosus  Showy Grasshopper (nymph)
      tetrigidae  Paratettix mexicanus  Pygmy Grasshopper
      tettigoniidae  Scudderia furcata  Fork-tailed Bush Katydid (nymph)
        Dichopetala catinata  Spoon-tailed Short-winged Katydid
        Conocephalus strictus  Straight-lanced Meadow Katydid (nymph)
      gryllidae  Oecanthus sp.  Tree Cricket

    neuroptera  ascalaphidae  Ululodes macleayanus  Owlfly
      chrysopidae  Unknown sp.  Green Lacewing (larva)

    araneae  thomisidae  Mecaphesa sp.  Crab Spider
      oxyopidae  Oxyopes apollo  Lynx Spider
      mimetidae  Mimetus sp.  Pirate Spider
      salticidae  Pelegrina galathea  Peppered Jumper
        Phidippus audax  Bold Jumper
        Habronattus cognatus  Jumping Spider
        Hentzia palmarum  Long-jawed Jumper
      araneidae  Metepeira sp.  Orbweaver

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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey May 30, 2013