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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey June 27, 2013


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

The weather was hot and sunny as this week's survey was conducted by five volunteers. Predation is one way that insect numbers are kept in check, and many times the predator is yet another insect! Examples below include robber flies, as well as the aptly named assassin bug.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Bombus pensylvanicus (American bumble bee)
photo by Val Bugh


Sphecius speciosus (cicada killer)
photo by Val Bugh


Hermetia sp. (soldier fly - an excellent wasp mimic!)
photo by Val Bugh


Zonosemata electa (pepper maggot fly)
photo by Val Bugh


Efferia tuberculata (a very small robber fly)
photo by Val Bugh


Efferia sp. (robber fly eating honey bee)
photo by Val Bugh


Polacantha sp. (robber fly eating leafhopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Promachus hinei (robber flies mating)
photo by Val Bugh


Leptotes marina (marine blue)
photo by Val Bugh


Omophoita cyanipennis (flea beetle)
photo by Val Bugh


Coleomegilla maculata (spotted ladybird)
photo by Val Bugh


Largus sp. (largus bug)
photo by Val Bugh


Zelus renardii (assassin bug eating leaf beetle)
photo by Val Bugh


Protenor belfragei (broad-headed bug)
photo by Val Bugh


Acanalonia parva (planthopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Libellula luctuosa (widow skimmer)
photo by Val Bugh


Argiope trifasciata (banded garden spider)
photo by Val Bugh


Peucetia viridans (green lynx)
photo by Val Bugh


Cnemidophorus gularis gularis (Texas spotted whiptail)
photo by Harriett Wolf


Anolis carolinensis (green anole)
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii)
    Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri)
    Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)
    Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
    Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
    European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
    Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus)
    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)
    Purple Martin (Progne subis)
    White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus)
    White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)

  • Mammals:
    Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)
    Hispid Cotton Rat (Sigmodon hispidus)
    Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)

  • Reptiles:
    Texas Spotted Whiptail (Cnemidophorus gularis gularis)
    Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Danaus gilippus  Queen
        Agraulis vanillae  Gulf Fritillary
        Asterocampa clyton  Tawny Emperor
        Phyciodes texana  Texan Crescent
      pieridae  Phoebis sennae  Cloudless Sulphur
        Eurema nicippe  Sleepy Orange
        Eurema lisa  Little Yellow
        Nathalis iole  Dainty Sulphur
      lycaenidae  Leptotes marina  Marine Blue
      papilionidae  Papilio cresphontes  Giant Swallowtail (adult & larva)
      hesperiidae  Pyrgus communis/albescens  Common/White Checkered-skipper
        Systasea pulverulenta  Texas Powdered-skipper
        Thorybes pylades  Northern Cloudywing
        Erynnis horatius  Horace's Duskywing
        Euphyes vestris  Dun Skipper
        Lerema accius  Clouded Skipper
        Amblyscirtes nysa  Nysa Roadside-skipper
      noctuidae  Melipotis cellaris  Moth
        Tarache quadriplaga  Bird Dropping Moth
      notodontidae  Schizura errucata  Prominent
      sphingidae  Manduca sexta  Carolina Sphinx (larva)
      geometridae  Digrammia californiaria  Moth
        Tornos scolopacinaria  Moth
        Lobocleta ossularia  Drab Brown Wave
        Pero meskaria  Moth
      crambidae  Urola nivalis  Snowy Urola
        Microtheoris vibicalis  Moth
        Hileithia magualis  Moth
      gelechiidae  Polyhymno luteostrigella  Moth
      zygaenidae  Acoloithus novaricus  False Skeletonizer (larva)
      heliodinidae  Aetole bella  Moth

    coleoptera  coccinellidae  Cycloneda sanguinea  Red Ladybird
        Coleomegilla maculata  Spotted Ladybird
      chrysomelidae  Asphaera lustrans  Flea Beetle
        Omophoita cyanipennis  Flea Beetle
        Lema trabeata  Leaf Beetle
      buprestidae  Acmaeodera ornatoides  Metallic Woodborer
      elateridae  Unknown sp.  Click Beetle
      mordellidae  Unknown sp.  Tumbling Flower Beetle
      curculionidae  Cylindrocopturus sp.  Weevil

    hemiptera  coreidae  Leptoglossus phyllopus  Eastern Leaf-footed Bug
        Acanthocephala terminalis  Coreid Bug (nymph)
      alydidae  Hyalymenus tarsatus  Texas Bow-legged Bug
        Burtinus notatipennis  Broad-headed Bug
        Protenor belfragei  Broad-headed Bug
      largidae  Largus sp.  Largus Bug
      rhyparochromidae  Ozophora picturata  Seed Bug
      berytidae  Jalysus sp.  Stilt Bug
      reduviidae  Zelus renardii  Assassin Bug
        Zelus tetracanthus  Four-spined Assassin Bug
      pentatomidae  Euschistus quadrator  Stink Bug

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Neokolla dolobrata  Leafhopper (adult & nymph)
        Graphocephala versuta  Leafhopper
        Homalodisca vitripennis  Glassy-winged Sharpshooter
        Gyponana sp.  Leafhopper
        Scaphoideus sp.  Leafhopper
      cercopidae  Clastoptera sp.  Spittlebug (adult & nymph)
      acanaloniidae  Acanalonia parva  Planthopper
      cicadidae  Pacarina puella  Cicada
        Tibicen texanus  Cicada

    hymenoptera  apidae  Apis mellifera  Honey Bee
        Bombus pensylvanicus  American Bumble Bee
        Centris atripes  Digger Bee
        Anthophora californica  Digger Bee
      megachilidae  Anthidiellum notatum  Bee
      vespidae  Polistes exclamans  Paper Wasp
        Polistes carolina  Red Wasp
        Polistes bellicosus  Paper Wasp
        Polistes fuscatus  Paper Wasp
      sphecidae  Sphex lucae  Digger Wasp
        Sphex ichneumoneus  Great Golden Digger Wasp
        Ammophila sp.  Thread-waisted Wasp
        Sceliphron caementarium  Yellow-and-black Mud Dauber
      crabronidae  Trypoxylon sp.  Wasp
        Sphecius speciosus  Cicada Killer
      pompilidae  Pepsis sp.  Spider Wasp
      formicidae  Crematogaster sp.  Acrobat Ant

    diptera  tephritidae  Zonosemata electa  Pepper Maggot Fly
      stratiomyidae  Hermetia sp.  Soldier Fly
      dolichopodidae  Condylostylus sp.  Long-legged Fly
      sarcophagidae  Unknown sp.  Flesh Fly
      asilidae  Efferia sp.  Robber Fly
        Efferia tuberculata  Robber Fly
        Promachus hinei  Robber Fly
        Polacantha sp.  Robber Fly

    odonata  coenagrionidae  Ischnura ramburii  Rambur's Forktail
        Argia immunda  Kiowa Dancer
        Argia fumipennis  Variable Dancer
      libellulidae  Pachydiplax longipennis  Blue Dasher
        Perithemis tenera  Eastern Amberwing
        Libellula croceipennis  Neon Skimmer
        Libellula luctuosa  Widow Skimmer
        Orthemis ferruginea  Roseate Skimmer

    orthoptera  acrididae  Schistocerca sp.  Bird Grasshopper (nymph)
        Mermiria bivittata  Two-striped Mermiria
        Melanoplus plebejus  Plebeian Grasshopper (nymph)
        Hesperotettix speciosus  Showy Grasshopper
        Encoptolophus subgracilis  Southwestern Dusky Grasshopper
      tettigoniidae  Scudderia furcata  Fork-tailed Bush Katydid (adult & nymph)
        Amblycorypha huasteca  Texas False Katydid
        Conocephalus strictus  Straight-lanced Meadow Katydid
        Pediodectes bruneri  Bruner's Shieldback
      tetrigidae  Paratettix mexicanus  Pygmy Grasshopper

    mantodea  mantidae  Stagmomantis carolina  Carolina Mantis (nymph)

    neuroptera  ascalaphidae  Ululodes macleayanus  Owlfly

    araneae  oxyopidae  Peucetia viridans  Green Lynx
      araneidae  Argiope aurantia  Black and Yellow Garden Spider
        Argiope trifasciata  Banded Garden Spider
        Neoscona crucifera  Orbweaver
      thomisidae  Mecaphesa sp.  Crab Spider
      salticidae  Phidippus audax  Bold Jumper
        Phidippus mystaceus  Jumping Spider
      lycosidae  Hogna carolinensis  Carolina Wolf Spider

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