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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey July 18, 2013


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

It was partly sunny and hot as three volunteers completed this week's survey. While bees are our top insect pollinators, flies rank second in importance. Flies do not have stings but they often have colors and patterns that resemble bees and wasps (see images below), mimicry that gives them some protection from predators.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Cardinalis cardinalis (northern cardinal fledgling)
photo by Harriett Wolf


Sylvilagus floridanus (eastern cottontail)
photo by Val Bugh


Eburia haldemani (long-horned beetle)
photo by Val Bugh


Schistocerca obscura (obscure bird grasshopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Catorhintha selector (coreid bug)
photo by Val Bugh


Cuerna costalis (leafhopper, nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Vanessa virginiensis (American lady)
photo by Val Bugh


Strymon istapa (mallow scrub-hairstreak)
photo by Val Bugh


Calephelis perditalis (rounded metalmark)
photo by Val Bugh


Danaus plexippus (monarch)
photo by Harriett Wolf


Diachorisia velatella (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Microtheoris vibicalis (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Peleteria sp. (tachinid fly)
photo by Val Bugh


Xanthomelanodes sp. (tachinid fly)
photo by Val Bugh


Copestylum avidum (flower fly)
photo by Val Bugh


Megachile exilis (slender resin bee)
photo by Val Bugh


Centris atripes (digger bee)
photo by Val Bugh


Tachypompilus unicolor (spider wasp)
photo by Val Bugh


Scolia nobilitata (scoliid wasp)
photo by Val Bugh


Xysticus sp. (crab spider eating acrobat ant queen)
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri)
    Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
    White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)

  • Mammals:
    Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)
    Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)

  • Reptiles:
    Texas Spotted Whiptail (Cnemidophorus gularis gularis)

  • Misc.:
    Globular Drop (Helicina orbiculata)
    Millipede (Unknown sp.)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Danaus gilippus  Queen
        Danaus plexippus  Monarch
        Agraulis vanillae  Gulf Fritillary (adult & larva)
        Asterocampa celtis  Hackberry Emperor
        Vanessa virginiensis  American Lady
      pieridae  Phoebis sennae  Cloudless Sulphur
        Eurema nicippe  Sleepy Orange
        Eurema lisa  Little Yellow
      riodinidae  Calephelis perditalis  Rounded Metalmark
      papilionidae  Papilio cresphontes  Giant Swallowtail (larva)
      lycaenidae  Hemiargus isola  Reakirt's Blue
        Hemiargus ceraunus  Ceraunus Blue
        Strymon melinus  Gray Hairstreak
        Strymon istapa  Mallow Scrub-hairstreak
        Callophrys gryneus  Juniper Hairstreak
      hesperiidae  Pyrgus communis/albescens  Common/White Checkered-skipper
        Pyrgus philetas  Desert Checkered-skipper
        Erynnis horatius  Horace's Duskywing
        Euphyes vestris  Dun Skipper
        Lerodea eufala  Eufala Skipper
      noctuidae  Melipotis indomita  Moth
        Ponometia fasciatella  Moth
        Plusiodonta compressipalpis  Moonseed Moth
      arctiidae  Virbia sp.  Moth
      notodontidae  Schizura errucata  Prominent
      geometridae  Pimaphera percata  Moth
        Tornos scolopacinaria  Moth
      crambidae  Microtheoris vibicalis  Moth
        Glaphyria sequistrialis  White-roped Glaphyria
        Lipocosma polingi  Moth
        Pyrausta inornatalis  Inornate Pyrausta Moth
        Oenobotys texanalis  Moth
      pyralidae  Peoria opacella  Grass-veneer Moth
      tortricidae  Cydia membrosa  Leafroller Moth
        Epiblema strenuana  Ragweed Borer
      gelechiidae  Brachyacma palpigera  Soybean Webworm Moth
      coleophoridae  Blastobasis sp.  Moth
      oecophoridae  Inga obscuromaculella  Moth
        Antaeotricha humilis  Moth
      acrolophidae  Amydria margoriella  Moth
      ypsolophidae  Ypsolopha unicipunctella  Agarita Slug Moth
      tineidae  Diachorisia velatella  Moth

    coleoptera  chrysomelidae  Asphaera lustrans  Flea Beetle
        Omophoita cyanipennis  Flea Beetle
        Gratiana pallidula  Eggplant Tortoise Beetle
      cerambycidae  Eburia haldemani  Long-horned Beetle
      tenebrionidae  Eleodes goryi  Darkling Beetle
      scarabaeidae  Phyllophaga sp.  June Beetle
      elateridae  Unknown sp.  Click Beetle (larva)

    hemiptera  coreidae  Leptoglossus phyllopus  Eastern Leaf-footed Bug
        Leptoglossus zonatus  Leaf-footed Bug
        Acanthocephala terminalis  Coreid Bug (nymph)
        Acanthocephala femorata  Coreid Bug (nymph)
        Chariesterus antennator  Euphorbia Bug
        Catorhintha selector  Coreid Bug
        Hypselonotus punctiventris  Coreid Bug
      reduviidae  Zelus renardii  Assassin Bug
      pentatomidae  Euschistus quadrator  Stink Bug
        Chlorochroa ligata  Conchuela

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Homalodisca insolita  Sharpshooter
        Neokolla dolobrata  Leafhopper
        Cuerna costalis  Leafhopper
      cixiidae  Oliarus sp.  Planthopper

    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
      megachilidae  Megachile exilis  Slender Resin Bee
        Stelis sp.  Parasitic Leaf-cutter Bee
        Dianthidium sp.  Leaf-cutter Bee
      halictidae  Lasioglossum sp.  Sweat Bee
        Augochloropsis metallica  Green Sweat Bee
      vespidae  Polistes exclamans  Paper Wasp
        Polistes carolina  Red Wasp
        Polistes dorsalis  Paper Wasp
        Polistes bellicosus  Paper Wasp
        Euodynerus hidalgo  Mason Wasp
      sphecidae  Isodontia sp.  Grass-carrying Wasp
        Sphex ichneumoneus  Great Golden Digger Wasp
        Prionyx sp.  Thread-waisted Wasp
        Sceliphron caementarium  Yellow-and-black Mud Dauber
        Chalybion sp.  Blue Mud Dauber
        Ammophila sp.  Thread-waisted Wasp
      crabronidae  Bicyrtes sp.  Sand Wasp
        Tachysphex sp.  Wasp
      pompilidae  Tachypompilus unicolor  Spider Wasp
      scoliidae  Trielis octomaculata  Scoliid Wasp
        Scolia nobilitata  Scoliid Wasp
      formicidae  Crematogaster sp.  Acrobat Ant

    diptera  culicidae  Aedes albopictus  Asian Tiger Mosquito
      syrphidae  Toxomerus marginatus  Flower Fly
        Copestylum avidum  Flower Fly
        Dioprosopa clavata  Flower Fly
      asilidae  Efferia sp.  Robber Fly
      dolichopodidae  Unknown sp.  Long-legged Fly
      tachinidae  Peleteria sp.  Tachinid Fly
        Xanthomelanodes sp.  Tachinid Fly

    odonata  coenagrionidae  Argia immunda  Kiowa Dancer
        Ischnura ramburii  Rambur's Forktail
      libellulidae  Pachydiplax longipennis  Blue Dasher
        Libellula croceipennis  Neon Skimmer

    orthoptera  acrididae  Lactista aztecus  Aztec Bandwing (adult & nymph)
        Chortophaga viridifasciata  Northern Green-striped Grasshopper (adult & nymph)
        Melanoplus plebejus  Plebeian Grasshopper (nymph)
        Melanoplus ponderosus  Ponderous Grasshopper
        Melanoplus differentialis  Differential Grasshopper
        Melanoplus flabellatus  Dallas Short-winged Grasshopper
        Eritettix abortivus  Texas Short-winged Slant-faced Grasshopper
        Schistocerca sp.  Bird Grasshopper (nymph)
        Schistocerca obscura  Obscure Bird Grasshopper
        Schistocerca nitens  Gray Bird Grasshopper
      tettigoniidae  Conocephalus strictus  Straight-lanced Meadow Katydid (adult & nymph)
        Scudderia furcata  Fork-tailed Bush Katydid (adult & nymph)
      gryllidae  Oecanthus sp.  Tree Cricket (nymph)

    neuroptera  ascalaphidae  Ululodes macleayanus  Owlfly

    araneae  salticidae  Phidippus audax  Bold Jumper
        Platycryptus undatus  Jumping Spider
        Metacyrba taeniola  Jumping Spider
      araneidae  Argiope aurantia  Black and Yellow Garden Spider
      thomisidae  Mecaphesa sp.  Crab Spider
        Xysticus sp.  Crab Spider
      philodromidae  Philodromus sp.  Running Crab Spider
      oxyopidae  Oxyopes salticus  Striped Lynx
        Peucetia viridans  Green Lynx

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