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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey February 20, 2014


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

A team of four completed this week's survey under warm and partly sunny conditions. The Red-eared Sliders that live in the front pond can be seen sunning themselves whenever weather permits. Males are slightly smaller than females and, as shown in the photo below, have much longer claws on their front feet. The male uses his long toenails to stroke the female during courtship.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Zonotrichia leucophrys (white-crowned sparrow)
photo by Harriett Wolf


Trachemys scripta elegans (red-eared sliders, male & female)
photo by Val Bugh


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


Apis mellifera (honey bee)
photo by Val Bugh


Anelaphus parallelus (oak twig pruner)
photo by Val Bugh


Asphaera lustrans (flea beetle)
photo by Val Bugh


Chortophaga viridifasciata (northern green-striped grasshopper nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Phidippus audax (bold jumper)
photo by Val Bugh


Metaltella simoni (spider)
photo by Val Bugh


Porcellionides pruinosus (sowbug)
photo by Val Bugh


Aon noctuiformis (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Platyptilia carduidactylus (plume moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Phyllodesma americana (lappet moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Ellabella melanoclista (tropical fruitworm moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Udea rubigalis (celery leaftier moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Psychomorpha epimenis (grapevine epimenis)
photo by Val Bugh


Zerene cesonia (southern dogface)
photo by Val Bugh


Callophrys gryneus (juniper hairstreak)
photo by Harriett Wolf

  • Birds:
    Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii)
    Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus)
    Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)
    Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
    Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)
    Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus)
    House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus)
    House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
    Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Picoides scalaris)
    Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria)
    Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
    Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus)
    Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
    Western Scrub-jay (Aphelocoma californica)
    White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys)
    Yellow-rumped Warbler (Dendroica coronata)

  • Mammals:
    Coyote (Canis latrans)
    Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)
    Hispid Cotton Rat (Sigmodon hispidus)
    Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana)

  • Reptiles:
    Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans)
    Redstripe Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis proximus rubrilineatus)

  • Misc.:
    Julid Millipede (Unknown sp.)
    Sowbug (Porcellionides pruinosus)
    Pillbug (Armadillidium vulgare)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Euptoieta claudia  Variegated Fritillary (larva)
        Polygonia interrogationis  Question Mark
        Libytheana carinenta  American Snout
      pieridae  Nathalis iole  Dainty Sulphur
        Eurema nicippe  Sleepy Orange
        Colias eurytheme  Orange Sulphur
        Zerene cesonia  Southern Dogface
      lycaenidae  Atlides halesus  Great Purple Hairstreak
        Callophrys gryneus  Juniper Hairstreak
        Hemiargus sp.  Blue
      hesperiidae  Pyrgus sp.  Checkered-skipper
      noctuidae  Galgula partita  The Wedgling
        Aon noctuiformis  Moth
        Peridroma saucia  Pearly Underwing
        Phoberia atomaris  Common Oak Moth
        Plusiodonta compressipalpis  Moonseed Moth
        Crambodes talidiformis  Verbena Moth
        Psaphida resumens  Figure-eight Sallow
        Psychomorpha epimenis  Grapevine Epimenis
      nolidae  Meganola minuscula  Confused Meganola
      geometridae  Lycia ypsilon  Woolly Gray
        Phigalia strigataria  Small Phigalia
        Eupithecia miserulata  Common Eupithecia
        Pero meskaria  Moth
        Nemoria zygotaria  Emerald
      crambidae  Udea rubigalis  Celery Leaftier Moth
        Unknown sp.  Moth (larva)
      sphingidae  Hyles lineata  White-lined Sphinx
      lacturidae  Lactura sp.  Moth
      lasiocampidae  Phyllodesma americana  Lappet Moth
      elachistidae  Ethmia semilugens  Ethmia Moth
      tortricidae  Chimoptesis pennsylvaniana  Filigreed Moth
        Eumarozia malachitana  Sculptured Moth
        Goditha bumeliana  Moth
      pterophoridae  Platyptilia carduidactylus  Plume Moth
      copromorphidae  Ellabella melanoclista  Tropical Fruitworm Moth

    coleoptera  chrysomelidae  Diabrotica undecimpunctata  Spotted Cucumber Beetle
        Asphaera lustrans  Flea Beetle
      cerambycidae  Anelaphus parallelus  Oak Twig Pruner
      curculionidae  Hypera postica  Weevil (larva)

    hemiptera  rhyparochromidae  Malezonotus rufipes  Seed Bug

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Cuerna costalis  Leafhopper

    hymenoptera  apidae  Apis mellifera  Honey Bee
        Xylocopa virginica  Eastern Carpenter Bee
      halictidae  Lasioglossum sp.  Sweat Bee
      vespidae  Polistes carolina  Red Wasp
      cynipidae  Unknown sp.  Gall Wasp
      formicidae  Solenopsis invicta  Imported Fire Ant

    diptera  anthomyiidae  Unknown sp.  Root Maggot Fly
      muscidae  Coenosia sp.  Tiger Fly
      tephritidae  Neotephritis finalis  Fruit Fly
      syrphidae  Copestylum avidum  Flower Fly
        Copestylum marginatum  Flower Fly
        Toxomerus marginatus  Flower Fly
      tipulidae  Tipula sp.  Crane Fly

    orthoptera  acrididae  Chortophaga viridifasciata  Northern Green-striped Grasshopper (nymph)
        Lactista aztecus  Aztec Bandwing
        Schistocerca nitens  Gray Bird Grasshopper
      tetrigidae  Paratettix mexicanus  Pygmy Grasshopper

    mantodea  mantidae  Stagmomantis carolina  Carolina Mantis (eggs)

    neuroptera  chrysopidae  Chrysoperla sp.  Green Lacewing

    araneae  lycosidae  Schizocosa sp.  Wolf Spider
      oxyopidae  Oxyopes salticus  Striped Lynx
      amphinectidae  Metaltella simoni  Spider
      tetragnathidae  Tetragnatha laboriosa  Silver Longjawed Orbweaver
      salticidae  Phidippus audax  Bold Jumper

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