previousindexnext   
  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey August 8, 2013


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

Five participants completed this week's survey under sunny and hot conditions. Like all arthropods, caterpillars shed their skin as they grow. Just before molting, the caterpillar stops eating and a new head capsule (the hardest part of the insect) forms in the body just behind the old head. This new "face" is actually visibly bulging under the skin of the butterfly larva shown below.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Unknown sp. (crayfish)
photo by Val Bugh


Pachydiplax longipennis (blue dasher)
photo by Val Bugh


Argia fumipennis (variable dancer, female)
photo by Val Bugh


Brachynemurus sp. (antlion)
photo by Val Bugh


Xylobiops basilaris (powder-post beetle)
photo by Val Bugh


Glyptotus cribratus (darkling beetle)
photo by Val Bugh


Cylas formicarius (sweet potato weevil)
photo by Val Bugh


Polistes bellicosus (paper wasp)
photo by Val Bugh


Asterocampa celtis (hackberry emperor, larva ready to molt)
photo by Val Bugh


Lipocosma polingi (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Tripudia quadrifera (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Friseria acaciella (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Ceuthophilus sp. (camel cricket)
photo by Val Bugh


Icerya purchasi (cottony cushion scale)
photo by Val Bugh


Graphocephala versuta (leafhopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Apiomerus spissipes (bee assassins eating honey bee)
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii)
    Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)
    Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
    Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota)
    Hummingbird (Archilochus sp.)
    Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria)
    Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
    Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virgianus)
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
    Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
    White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)

  • Mammals:
    Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)
    Hispid Cotton Rat (Sigmodon hispidus)

  • Reptiles:
    Redstripe Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis proximus rubrilineatus)

  • Misc.:
    Crayfish (Unknown sp.)
    Millipede (Unknown sp.)
    Spider Mite (Unknown sp.)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Danaus gilippus  Queen
        Asterocampa celtis  Hackberry Emperor (adult & larva)
        Mestra amymone  Common Mestra
      pieridae  Phoebis sennae  Cloudless Sulphur
        Eurema nicippe  Sleepy Orange
      papilionidae  Papilio polyxenes  Black Swallowtail
      lycaenidae  Strymon melinus  Gray Hairstreak
        Callophrys gryneus  Juniper Hairstreak
      hesperiidae  Lerema accius  Clouded Skipper
        Erynnis funeralis  Funereal Duskywing
      noctuidae  Tripudia quadrifera  Moth
        Acontia cretata  Bird-dropping Moth
        Tarache quadriplaga  Bird-dropping Moth
      crambidae  Microtheoris vibicalis  Moth
        Lipocosma polingi  Moth
        Oenobotys texanalis  Moth
      pyralidae  Ephestiodes sp.  Moth
        Macalla zelleri  Moth
      coleophoridae  Blastobasis sp.  Moth
      gelechiidae  Isophrictis similiella  Moth
        Friseria acaciella  Moth

    coleoptera  chrysomelidae  Asphaera lustrans  Flea Beetle
        Omophoita cyanipennis  Flea Beetle
      tenebrionidae  Glyptotus cribratus  Darkling Beetle
      bostrichidae  Xylobiops basilaris  Powder-post Beetle
      brentidae  Cylas formicarius  Sweet Potato Weevil

    hemiptera  coreidae  Leptoglossus phyllopus  Eastern Leaf-footed Bug
      alydidae  Hyalymenus tarsatus  Texas Bow-legged Bug
      reduviidae  Zelus renardii  Assassin Bug (nymph)
        Apiomerus spissipes  Bee Assassin
      berytidae  Jalysus sp.  Stilt Bug

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Homalodisca vitripennis  Glassy-winged Sharpshooter
        Graphocephala versuta  Leafhopper
      flatidae  Ormenis sp.  Planthopper
      monophlebidae  Icerya purchasi  Cottony Cushion Scale
      dactylopiidae  Dactylopius sp.  Cochineal Insect
      aphididae  Aphis illinoisensis  Grape Aphid
      cicadidae  Tibicen texanus  Cicada

    hymenoptera  apidae  Apis mellifera  Honey Bee
        Bombus pensylvanicus  American Bumble Bee
        Xylocopa virginica  Eastern Carpenter Bee
        Xylocopa parkinsoniae  Large Carpenter Bee
        Xylocopa micans  Southern Carpenter Bee
      megachilidae  Megachile sp.  Leaf-cutter Bee
      halictidae  Lasioglossum sp.  Sweat Bee
      vespidae  Polistes bellicosus  Paper Wasp
      sphecidae  Sphex ichneumoneus  Great Golden Digger Wasp
      crabronidae  Sphecius speciosus  Cicada Killer
      pompilidae  Pepsis sp.  Spider Wasp
      formicidae  Crematogaster sp.  Acrobat Ant

    diptera  psychodidae  Clogmia albipunctata  Moth Fly
      asilidae  Efferia sp.  Robber Fly
      dolichopodidae  Unknown sp.  Long-legged Fly

    odonata  coenagrionidae  Argia immunda  Kiowa Dancer
        Argia fumipennis  Variable Dancer
        Ischnura ramburii  Rambur's Forktail
        Telebasis salva  Desert Firetail
      libellulidae  Pachydiplax longipennis  Blue Dasher
        Libellula croceipennis  Neon Skimmer
        Libellula luctuosa  Widow Skimmer
        Tramea onusta  Red Saddlebags
        Pantala flavescens  Wandering Glider
        Perithemis tenera  Eastern Amberwing

    orthoptera  acrididae  Lactista aztecus  Aztec Bandwing
        Encoptolophus subgracilis  Southwestern Dusky Grasshopper
        Schistocerca sp.  Bird Grasshopper (nymph)
      tettigoniidae  Orchelimum silvaticum  Long-spurred Meadow Katydid
      rhaphidophoridae  Ceuthophilus sp.  Camel Cricket

    neuroptera  ascalaphidae  Ululodes macleayanus  Owlfly
      berothidae  Lomamyia sp.  Beaded Lacewing
      myrmeleontidae  Brachynemurus sp.  Antlion

    embioptera  oligotomidae  Oligotoma sp.  Webspinner

    araneae  salticidae  Phidippus audax  Bold Jumper
      araneidae  Argiope aurantia  Black and Yellow Garden Spider

previousindexnext   
  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey August 8, 2013