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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey October 30, 2014


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

We had a beautiful mild and sunny morning as six volunteers completed this week's survey. The group of Tawny Emperor caterpillars shown below all have swollen areas just behind their spiky gray heads. They are ready to molt; those lumps are where the new head capsules have formed inside their old skins!

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Maevia poultoni (jumping spider)
photo by Val Bugh


Enallagma civile (familiar bluet)
photo by Val Bugh


Argia sp. (damselfly nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Torymus sp. (torymid wasp)
photo by Val Bugh


Protandrena sp. (bees mating)
photo by Val Bugh


Epicauta pennsylvanica (blister beetle)
photo by Val Bugh


Dargida diffusa (wheat-head armyworm)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (inchworm)
photo by Val Bugh


Homoeosoma electella (sunflower moth, larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Ponometia exigua (moth, larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Asterocampa clyton (tawny emperor, larvae)
photo by Val Bugh


Diacme elealis (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Lychnosea intermicata (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Chrysodeixis includens (soybean looper moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Ctenoplusia oxygramma (sharp-stigma looper moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Phyciodes texana (Texan crescent)
photo by Harriett Wolf


Libytheana carinenta (American snout)
photo by Val Bugh


Urbanus dorantes (dorantes longtail, with tails broken off!)
photo by Val Bugh


Armadillidium vulgare (pillbug being attacked by fire ants)
photo by Val Bugh


Planorbella duryi (Seminole rams-horn)
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)
    Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)
    Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
    Common Raven (Corvus corax)
    Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
    Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria)
    Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
    Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula)
    Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta)

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

  • Reptiles & Amphibians:
    Texas Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus olivaceus)
    Rio Grande Leopard Frog (Rana berlandieri)

  • Misc.:
    Julid Millipede (Aniulus sp.)
    Pillbug (Armadillidium vulgare)
    Harvestman (Leiobunum sp.)
    Seminole Rams-horn (Planorbella duryi)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Agraulis vanillae  Gulf Fritillary (adult & larva)
        Danaus gilippus  Queen
        Danaus plexippus  Monarch
        Vanessa cardui  Painted Lady
        Euptoieta claudia  Variegated Fritillary
        Junonia coenia  Common Buckeye
        Asterocampa clyton  Tawny Emperor (larva)
        Phyciodes texana  Texan Crescent
        Libytheana carinenta  American Snout
      pieridae  Eurema nicippe  Sleepy Orange
        Eurema lisa  Little Yellow
        Zerene cesonia  Southern Dogface
        Nathalis iole  Dainty Sulphur
        Phoebis sennae  Cloudless Sulphur
      lycaenidae  Hemiargus isola  Reakirt's Blue
        Strymon melinus  Gray Hairstreak (adult & larva)
      hesperiidae  Hylephila phyleus  Fiery Skipper
        Lerema accius  Clouded Skipper
        Atalopedes campestris  Sachem
        Euphyes vestris  Dun Skipper
        Lerodea eufala  Eufala Skipper
        Urbanus dorantes  Dorantes Longtail
        Pyrgus communis/albescens  Common/White Checkered-skipper
        Pyrgus philetas  Desert Checkered-skipper
      noctuidae  Micrathetis triplex  Moth
        Hypena scabra  Green Cloverworm Moth
        Agrotis venerabilis  Venerable Dart
        Ponometia exigua  Moth (larva)
        Ponometia candefacta  Olive-shaded Bird Dropping Moth
        Bagisara sp.  Moth (larva)
        Plusiodonta compressipalpis  Moonseed Moth
        Spodoptera frugiperda  Fall Armyworm Moth
        Spodoptera exigua  Beet Armyworm Moth
        Melipotis cellaris  Moth
        Melipotis jucunda  Merry Melipotis
        Rachiplusia ou  Gray Looper Moth
        Chrysodeixis includens  Soybean Looper Moth
        Ctenoplusia oxygramma  Sharp-stigma Looper Moth
        Heliothis virescens  Tobacco Budworm (larva)
        Dargida diffusa  Wheat-head Armyworm (larva)
        Neogalea sunia  Lantana Stick Moth
      arctiidae  Estigmene acrea  Saltmarsh Caterpillar (larva)
      geometridae  Eupithecia longidens  Moth
        Pleuroprucha insulsaria  Common Tan Wave
        Unknown sp.  Inchworm (larva)
        Lychnosea intermicata  Moth
        Rindgea nigricomma  Moth
        Psamatodes abydata  Dot-lined Angle
      crambidae  Pyrausta laticlavia  Southern Purple Mint Moth
        Achyra rantalis  Garden Webworm Moth
        Diacme elealis  Moth
        Diaphania hyalinata  Melonworm Moth
        Glaphyria sequistrialis  White-roped Glaphyria
        Lineodes interrupta  Moth
        Lineodes integra  Eggplant Leafroller Moth
        Microcrambus croesus  Grass-veneer Moth
        Nomophila nearctica  Lucerne Moth
        Hymenia perspectalis  Spotted Beet Webworm Moth
      pyralidae  Ephestiodes sp.  Moth
        Homoeosoma electella  Sunflower Moth (adult & larva)
      tortricidae  Eucosma consobrinana  Leafroller Moth
        Decodes basiplagana  Leafroller Moth
      gelechiidae  Anacampsis fullonella  Moth
        Aristotelia sp.  Moth
      coleophoridae  Coleophora sp.  Moth
      yponomeutidae  Atteva aurea  Ailanthus Webworm Moth
      plutellidae  Plutella xylostella  Diamondback Moth
      gracillariidae  Caloptilia rhoifoliella  Sumac Leafblotch Miner Moth
      acrolophidae  Acrolophus texanella  Tubeworm Moth

    coleoptera  coccinellidae  Coccinella septempunctata  Seven-spotted Lady Beetle
        Scymnus sp.  Lady Beetle (larva)
      chrysomelidae  Diabrotica undecimpunctata  Spotted Cucumber Beetle
        Pachybrachis turbidus  Leaf Beetle
      meloidae  Epicauta pennsylvanica  Blister Beetle
      dytiscidae  Copelatus chevrolati  Predaceous Diving Beetle

    hemiptera  coreidae  Hypselonotus punctiventris  Coreid Bug
        Leptoglossus phyllopus  Eastern Leaf-footed Bug
      alydidae  Hyalymenus tarsatus  Texas Bow-legged Bug (adult & nymph)
      lygaeidae  Oncopeltus fasciatus  Large Milkweed Bug
      miridae  Neurocolpus sp.  Plant Bug
        Phytocoris sp.  Plant Bug
        Dichrooscytus sp.  Plant Bug
        Pseudatomoscelis seriatus  Cotton Flea Hopper
      rhopalidae  Niesthrea louisianica  Scentless Plant Bug (adult & nymph)
      berytidae  Jalysus sp.  Stilt Bug
      pentatomidae  Thyanta custator  Stink Bug
        Mecidea major  Grass Stink Bug
        Chinavia hilare  Green Stink Bug (nymph)
        Euschistus servus  Brown Stink Bug
      reduviidae  Zelus renardii  Assassin Bug (nymph)

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Cuerna costalis  Leafhopper
        Balclutha sp.  Leafhopper
        Gyponana sp.  Leafhopper
      cercopidae  Lepyronia quadrangularis  Spittlebug
        Unknown sp.  Spittlebug (nymph)
      cixiidae  Cixius stigmatus  Planthopper

    hymenoptera  apidae  Apis mellifera  Honey Bee
        Bombus pensylvanicus  American Bumble Bee
        Xylocopa parkinsoniae  Large Carpenter Bee
      megachilidae  Megachile sp.  Leaf-cutter Bee
      colletidae  Colletes sp.  Cellophane Bee
      andrenidae  Protandrena sp.  Bee
      vespidae  Polistes exclamans  Paper Wasp
        Polistes carolina  Red Wasp
        Eumenes fraternus  Potter Wasp
      torymidae  Torymus sp.  Torymid Wasp
      ichneumonidae  Unknown sp.  Ichneumon
      formicidae  Solenopsis invicta  Imported Fire Ant

    diptera  syrphidae  Palpada vinetorum  Flower Fly
        Eristalis sp.  Flower Fly
        Toxomerus marginatus  Flower Fly
      dolichopodidae  Condylostylus sp.  Long-legged Fly
      tachinidae  Unknown sp.  Tachinid Fly
        Juriniopsis sp.  Tachinid Fly
        Microphthalma sp.  Tachinid Fly
      chironomidae  Unknown sp.  Midge

    odonata  coenagrionidae  Enallagma civile  Familiar Bluet
        Argia sp.  Damselfly (nymph)
      libellulidae  Sympetrum vicinum  Autumn Meadowhawk
        Sympetrum corruptum  Variegated Meadowhawk
        Unknown sp.  Skimmer (nymph)

    orthoptera  acrididae  Melanoplus ponderosus  Ponderous Grasshopper
        Melanoplus plebejus  Plebeian Grasshopper
        Melanoplus differentialis  Differential Grasshopper (adult & nymph)
        Orphulella speciosa  Pasture Grasshopper
        Schistocerca obscura  Obscure Bird Grasshopper
      tettigoniidae  Scudderia furcata  Fork-tailed Bush Katydid (adult & nymph)
      mogoplistidae  Cycloptilum sp.  Scaly Cricket

    mantodea  thespidae  Oligonicella scudderi  Scudder's Mantis

    phasmatodea  diapheromeridae  Diapheromera sp.  Walking Stick
        Pseudosermyle strigata  Walking Stick

    neuroptera  chrysopidae  Chrysoperla sp.  Green Lacewing

    ephemeroptera  heptageniidae  Stenonema femoratum  Flat-headed Mayfly

    thysanoptera  aeolothripidae  Aeolothrips sp.  Predatory Thrips

    araneae  salticidae  Maevia poultoni  Jumping Spider
      thomisidae  Mecaphesa sp.  Crab Spider
        Bassaniana sp.  Crab Spider
      araneidae  Argiope aurantia  Black and Yellow Garden Spider
        Argiope trifasciata  Banded Garden Spider
        Neoscona crucifera  Orbweaver
      dictynidae  Unknown sp.  Meshweb Weaver
      lycosidae  Rabidosa rabida  Rabid Wolf Spider

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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey October 30, 2014