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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey October 2, 2014


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

It was a hot, humid, and mostly cloudy morning as five volunteers participated in this week's survey. One difference between butterflies and moths is the structure of their antennae. While butterflies' are thin and have a club on the tip, moths' vary from thread-like to plumose. The spectacular antennae on the male Calleta silkmoth shown below are capable of detecting the faintest hint of female pheromones in the air.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Orchelimum silvaticum (long-spurred meadow katydid, female)
photo by Val Bugh


Lactista aztecus (Aztec bandwing nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Hyalymenus tarsatus (Texas bow-legged bug)
photo by Val Bugh


Mesovelia sp. (water treader)
photo by Val Bugh


Oncopeltus fasciatus (large milkweed bug nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Ollarianus strictus (leafhopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Liburniella ornata (delphacid planthopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Tramea onusta (red saddlebags, male)
photo by Val Bugh


Agraulis vanillae (gulf fritillary larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Heliothis virescens (tobacco budworm)
photo by Val Bugh


Lacinipolia laudabilis (laudable arches)
photo by Val Bugh


Eupackardia calleta (calleta silkmoth male)
photo by Val Bugh


Holochroa dissociarius (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Pococera asperatella (maple webworm moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Chararica hystriculella (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Argiope aurantia (black and yellow garden spider)
photo by Val Bugh


Plexippus paykulli (pantropical jumper, immature male)
photo by Val Bugh


Abacion sp. (crested millipede)
photo by Val Bugh


Rana berlandieri (Rio Grande leopard frog)
photo by Val Bugh


Thamnophis proximus rubrilineatus (redstripe ribbon snake)
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii)
    Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
    Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
    Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria)
    Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
    White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)

  • Mammals:
    Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)

  • Reptiles, Amphibians & Fish:
    Texas Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus olivaceus)
    Mediterranean Gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus)
    Redstripe Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis proximus rubrilineatus)
    Rio Grande Leopard Frog (Rana berlandieri)
    Red Shiner (Cyprinella lutrensis)

  • Misc.:
    Land Snail (Polygyra cereolus)
    Land Snail (Bradybaena similaris)
    Earthworm (Unknown sp.)
    Greenhouse Millipede (Oxidus gracilis)
    Flat-backed Millipede (Asiomorpha coarctata)
    Crested Millipede (Abacion sp.)
    Halloween Harvestman (Dalquestia formosa)
    Striped Bark Scorpion (Centruroides vittatus)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Agraulis vanillae  Gulf Fritillary (adult & larva)
        Danaus gilippus  Queen
      pieridae  Eurema lisa  Little Yellow
        Phoebis sennae  Cloudless Sulphur
      riodinidae  Calephelis sp.  Metalmark
      papilionidae  Papilio polyxenes  Giant Swallowtail
      noctuidae  Lacinipolia laudabilis  Laudable Arches Moth
        Charadra dispulsa  Moth
        Elaphria festivoides  Festive Midget
        Tarache quadriplaga  Bird Dropping Moth
        Schinia chrysellus  Broomweed Flower Moth
        Schinia siren  Alluring Flower Moth
        Heliothis virescens  Tobacco Budworm (larva)
        Unknown sp.  Moth (larva)
      arctiidae  Virbia sp.  Moth
        Estigmene acrea  Saltmarsh Moth
        Cisthene tenuifascia  Lichen Moth
      saturniidae  Eupackardia calleta  Calleta Silkmoth
      geometridae  Tornos scolopacinaria  Dimorphic Gray
        Nemoria zygotaria  Emerald
        Synchlora frondaria  Camouflaged Looper (larva)
        Pimaphera percata  Moth
        Caripeta triangulata  Moth
        Lobocleta peralbata  White Wave
        Lobocleta ossularia  Drab Brown Wave
        Holochroa dissociarius  Moth
        Glena quinquelinearia  Five-lined Glena
      crambidae  Diastictis fracturalis  Moth
        Urola nivalis  Snowy Urola
        Lipocosma polingi  Moth
        Aethiophysa lentiflualis  Moth
        Euchromius ocelleus  Grass-veneer Moth
        Eoreuma densella  Wainscot Grass-veneer Moth
      pyralidae  Ephestiodes sp.  Moth
        Chararica hystriculella  Moth
        Dolichomia olinalis  Moth
        Pococera asperatella  Maple Webworm Moth
      tortricidae  Eucosma comatulana  Leafroller Moth
        Epiblema abruptana  Leafroller Moth
        Cudonigera houstonana  Juniper Budworm Moth
      oecophoridae  Inga cretacea  Chalky Inga
      xyloryctidae  Scythris fuscicomella  Moth
      acrolophidae  Acrolophus sp.  Tubeworm Moth
        Acrolophus heppneri  Tubeworm Moth
      gelechiidae  Battaristis sp.  Moth
        Battaristis concinusella  Moth
      gracillariidae  Cameraria caryaefoliella  Pecan Leafminer Moth

    coleoptera  chrysomelidae  Donacia sp.  Aquatic Leaf Beetle
      coccinellidae  Cycloneda sanguinea  Red Lady Beetle
        Olla v-nigrum  Ashy-gray Lady Beetle
      carabidae  Notiobia sp.  Ground Beetle
      tenebrionidae  Eleodes goryi  Darkling Beetle
      scarabaeidae  Diplotaxis sp.  Scarab
      curculionidae  Curculio sp.  Nut Weevil
        Unknown sp.  Weevil

    hemiptera  coreidae  Hypselonotus punctiventris  Coreid Bug
        Leptoglossus phyllopus  Eastern Leaf-footed Bug
      alydidae  Hyalymenus tarsatus  Texas Bow-legged Bug
      lygaeidae  Oncopeltus fasciatus  Large Milkweed Bug (adult & nymph)
      rhyparochromidae  Neopamera bilobata  Seed Bug
      rhopalidae  Niesthrea louisianica  Scentless Plant Bug
      miridae  Neurocolpus sp.  Plant Bug
        Pseudatomoscelis seriatus  Cotton Flea Hopper
      reduviidae  Zelus renardii  Assassin Bug
      mesoveliidae  Mesovelia sp.  Water Treader

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Homalodisca vitripennis  Glassy-winged Sharpshooter
        Cuerna costalis  Leafhopper
        Ollarianus strictus  Leafhopper
      cercopidae  Clastoptera sp.  Spittlebug
      delphacidae  Liburniella ornata  Planthopper
      cixiidae  Oecleus sp.  Planthopper
      aleyrodidae  Unknown sp.  Whitefly
      aphididae  Aphis nerii  Oleander Aphid

    hymenoptera  apidae  Apis mellifera  Honey Bee
        Bombus pensylvanicus  American Bumble Bee
        Centris atripes  Digger Bee
        Anthophora sp.  Digger Bee
      megachilidae  Megachile sp.  Leaf-cutter Bee
      vespidae  Polistes exclamans  Paper Wasp
        Polistes carolina  Red Wasp
        Eumenes bollii  Potter Wasp
      sphecidae  Sceliphron caementarium  Yellow-and-black Mud Dauber
      formicidae  Solenopsis invicta  Imported Fire Ant
      braconidae  Unknown sp.  Braconid Wasp
      ichneumonidae  Unknown sp.  Ichneumon

    diptera  culicidae  Aedes albopictus  Asian Tiger Mosquito
        Psorophora cyanescens  Mosquito
        Psorophora ciliata  Gallinipper
        Ochlerotatus trivittatus  Mosquito
      dolichopodidae  Condylostylus sp.  Long-legged Fly
      syrphidae  Copestylum tamaulipanum  Flower Fly
      bombyliidae  Poecilognathus sp.  Bee Fly
      tephritidae  Xanthaciura sp.  Fruit Fly
      sarcophagidae  Unknown sp.  Flesh Fly

    odonata  coenagrionidae  Argia translata  Dusky Dancer
        Ischnura ramburii  Rambur's Forktail
      libellulidae  Libellula croceipennis  Neon Skimmer
        Pachydiplax longipennis  Blue Dasher
        Tramea onusta  Red Saddlebags
        Tramea lacerata  Black Saddlebags
      aeshnidae  Anax junius  Common Green Darner

    orthoptera  acrididae  Melanoplus ponderosus  Ponderous Grasshopper
        Melanoplus plebejus  Plebeian Grasshopper
        Melanoplus sp.  Spur-throated Grasshopper
        Schistocerca obscura  Obscure Bird Grasshopper
        Lactista aztecus  Aztec Bandwing (adult & nymph)
        Eritettix abortivus  Texas Short-winged Slant-faced Grasshopper (nymph)
        Syrbula admirabilis  Handsome Grasshopper
      gryllidae  Oecanthus varicornis  Tree Cricket (nymph)
      tettigoniidae  Scudderia furcata  Fork-tailed Bush Katydid
        Orchelimum silvaticum  Long-spurred Meadow Katydid

    mantodea  mantidae  Stagmomantis carolina  Carolina Mantis
      thespidae  Oligonicella scudderi  Scudder's Mantis

    araneae  araneidae  Argiope aurantia  Black and Yellow Garden Spider
      salticidae  Plexippus paykulli  Pantropical Jumper
      thomisidae  Mecaphesa sp.  Crab Spider

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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey October 2, 2014