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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey June 20, 2013


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

Three volunteers completed this week's survey under hot and partly sunny conditions. True bugs have tube-like mouthparts that confine them to a liquid diet. Some are predators (first 3 photos below) while others feed on plants (next 2 images). They are adaptable, though, and assassin bugs will sometimes sip nectar while, as illustrated by the Red-shouldered Bug, herbivores might ingest the bodily fluids of dead insects.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Microtomus purcis (assassin bug)
photo by Val Bugh


Triatoma gerstaeckeri (kissing bug)
photo by Val Bugh


Brochymena sp. (rough stink bug)
photo by Val Bugh


Jadera haematoloma (red-shouldered bug feeding on green sweat bee)
photo by Val Bugh


Acanthocephala terminalis (coreid bug nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Pacarina puella (a very small cicada)
photo by Val Bugh


Gyponana sp. (leafhopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Campylacantha olivacea (fuzzy olive-green grasshopper nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Mermiria sp. (slant-faced grasshopper nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Hesperotettix speciosus (showy grasshopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Conocephalus strictus (straight-lanced meadow katydid)
photo by Val Bugh


Diabrotica longicornis (leaf beetle)
photo by Val Bugh


Mydas clavatus (mydas fly)
photo by Val Bugh


Hemipenthes celeris (bee fly)
photo by Val Bugh


Pseudomethoca sp. (velvet ant, male)
photo by Val Bugh


Oligotoma sp. (webspinner, male)
photo by Val Bugh


Tarache aprica (exposed bird dropping moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Fernaldella fimetaria (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Euphyes vestris (dun skipper)
photo by Val Bugh


Callophrys gryneus (juniper hairstreak)
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
    Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri)
    Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)
    Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)
    Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)
    Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
    Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
    Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus)
    House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus)
    House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
    Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Picoides scalaris)
    Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria)
    Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
    Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus)
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
    Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris)
    Purple Martin (Progne subis)
    Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
    Western Kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis)
    White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus)
    White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)
    Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus)

  • Mammals:
    Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Danaus gilippus  Queen
        Agraulis vanillae  Gulf Fritillary
      pieridae  Phoebis sennae  Cloudless Sulphur
        Eurema nicippe  Sleepy Orange
        Nathalis iole  Dainty Sulphur
        Zerene cesonia  Southern Dogface
      lycaenidae  Callophrys gryneus  Juniper Hairstreak
      papilionidae  Papilio cresphontes  Giant Swallowtail
      hesperiidae  Pyrgus communis/albescens  Common/White Checkered-skipper
        Pyrgus philetas  Desert Checkered-skipper
        Erynnis funeralis  Funereal Duskywing
        Euphyes vestris  Dun Skipper
      noctuidae  Ponometia phecolisca  Bird Dropping Moth
        Tarache aprica  Exposed Bird Dropping Moth
        Micrathetis triplex  Moth
      saturniidae  Hyalophora cecropia  Cecropia Moth (pupa)
      geometridae  Pimaphera percata  Moth
        Tornos scolopacinaria  Moth
        Lobocleta peralbata  White Wave
        Lobocleta ossularia  Drab Brown Wave
        Fernaldella fimetaria  Moth
        Synchlora frondaria  Southern Emerald
      crambidae  Glaphyria sequistrialis  White-roped Glaphyria
        Pyrausta laticlavia  Southern Purple Mint Moth
        Mimoschinia rufofascialis  Moth
        Urola nivalis  Snowy Urola
        Fissicrambus sp.  Grass-veneer Moth
        Parapediasia teterrella  Grass-veneer Moth
      pyralidae  Ephestiodes sp.  Moth
        Peoria tetradella  Grass-veneer Moth
        Alpheioides parvulalis  Moth
      tortricidae  Cudonigera houstonana  Juniper Budworm Moth
      gelechiidae  Polyhymno luteostrigella  Moth
        Battaristis sp.  Moth
      zygaenidae  Acoloithus novaricus  False Skeletonizer (larva)
        Harrisina coracina  Grapeleaf Skeletonizer Moth
      acrolophidae  Amydria margoriella  Moth
        Acrolophus sp.  Tubeworm Moth

    coleoptera  coccinellidae  Cycloneda sanguinea  Red Ladybird
      chrysomelidae  Asphaera lustrans  Flea Beetle
        Diabrotica longicornis  Leaf Beetle
      carabidae  Dicaelus crenatus  Ground Beetle
      tenebrionidae  Eleodes goryi  Darkling Beetle
        Blapstinus sp.  Darkling Beetle
      buprestidae  Agrilus addendus  Metallic Woodborer
      scarabaeidae  Phyllophaga sp.  June beetle

    hemiptera  coreidae  Leptoglossus phyllopus  Eastern Leaf-footed Bug
        Hypselonotus punctiventris  Coreid Bug
        Acanthocephala terminalis  Coreid Bug (adult & nymph)
      alydidae  Hyalymenus tarsatus  Texas Bow-legged Bug
      lygaeidae  Oncopeltus fasciatus  Large Milkweed Bug (nymph)
        Lygaeus kalmii  Small Milkweed Bug
      rhopalidae  Jadera haematoloma  Red-shouldered Bug
      reduviidae  Zelus renardii  Assassin Bug
        Microtomus purcis  Assassin Bug
        Triatoma gerstaeckeri  Kissing Bug
      pentatomidae  Euschistus quadrator  Stink Bug
        Euschistus tristigmus  Stink Bug
        Brochymena sp.  Rough Stink Bug
        Mecidea major  Grass Stink Bug
        Chinavia hilare  Green Stink Bug

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Neokolla dolobrata  Leafhopper
        Neokolla uhleri  Leafhopper
        Homalodisca vitripennis  Glassy-winged Sharpshooter
        Gyponana sp.  Leafhopper
      cercopidae  Clastoptera sp.  Spittlebug
      cixiidae  Oecleus sp.  Planthopper
      cicadidae  Pacarina puella  Cicada
        Tibicen texanus  Cicada

    hymenoptera  apidae  Apis mellifera  Honey Bee
        Bombus pensylvanicus  American Bumble Bee
        Centris atripes  Digger Bee
        Xylocopa parkinsoniae  Large Carpenter Bee
        Xylocopa micans  Southern Carpenter Bee
        Xylocopa virginica  Eastern Carpenter Bee
      halictidae  Unknown sp.  Green Sweat Bee
      megachilidae  Megachile sp.  Leaf-cutter Bee
      vespidae  Polistes exclamans  Paper Wasp
        Polistes carolina  Red Wasp
        Vespula squamosa  Southern Yellowjacket (queen)
      sphecidae  Sphex lucae  Digger Wasp
        Sphex ichneumoneus  Great Golden Digger Wasp
        Ammophila sp.  Thread-waisted Wasp
      crabronidae  Bicyrtes sp.  Sand Wasp
      pompilidae  Pepsis sp.  Spider Wasp
      cynipidae  Unknown sp.  Gall Wasp
      mutillidae  Pseudomethoca sp.  Velvet Ant
      formicidae  Solenopsis invicta  Imported Fire Ant
      ichneumonidae  Unknown sp.  Ichneumon

    diptera  syrphidae  Ocyptamus fascipennis  Flower Fly
      bombyliidae  Hemipenthes celeris  Bee Fly
      tachinidae  Microphthalma sp.  Tachinid Fly
        Unknown sp.  Tachinid Fly
      mydidae  Mydas clavatus  Mydas Fly
      dolichopodidae  Unknown sp.  Long-legged Fly
      sarcophagidae  Unknown sp.  Flesh Fly
      asilidae  Efferia sp.  Robber Fly
        Promachus sp.  Robber Fly

    odonata  coenagrionidae  Ischnura ramburii  Rambur's Forktail
        Argia immunda  Kiowa Dancer
        Argia plana  Springwater Dancer
      libellulidae  Pachydiplax longipennis  Blue Dasher
        Perithemis tenera  Eastern Amberwing
        Libellula croceipennis  Neon Skimmer

    orthoptera  acrididae  Schistocerca lineata  Spotted Bird Grasshopper (nymph)
        Lactista aztecus  Aztec Bandwing (nymph)
        Chortophaga viridifasciata  Northern Green-striped Grasshopper (nymph)
        Arphia sp.  Band-winged Grasshopper (nymph)
        Mermiria bivittata  Two-striped Mermiria
        Mermiria sp.  Slant-faced Grasshopper (nymph)
        Melanoplus plebejus  Plebeian Grasshopper (nymph)
        Melanoplus ponderosus  Ponderous Grasshopper
        Hesperotettix speciosus  Showy Grasshopper
        Campylacantha olivacea  Fuzzy Olive-green Grasshopper (nymph)
        Paraidemona sp.  Spur-throated Grasshopper
      tettigoniidae  Scudderia furcata  Fork-tailed Bush Katydid (nymph)
        Amblycorypha huasteca  Texas False Katydid
        Conocephalus strictus  Straight-lanced Meadow Katydid (adult & nymph)
        Pediodectes nigromarginatus  Black-margined Shieldback
      gryllidae  Oecanthus sp.  Tree Cricket

    dermaptera  anisolabididae  Euborellia annulipes  Ring-legged Earwig

    neuroptera  ascalaphidae  Ululodes macleayanus  Owlfly
      mantispidae  Leptomantispa pulchella  Mantisfly

    embioptera  oligotomidae  Oligotoma sp.  Webspinner

    araneae  oxyopidae  Peucetia viridans  Green Lynx
      araneidae  Neoscona arabesca  Arabesque Orbweaver
        Neoscona crucifera  Orbweaver

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