previousindexnext   
  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey July 10, 2014


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

It was hot and mostly sunny as seven volunteers completed this week's survey. Grasshoppers' survival is often heavily reliant on camouflage. The Aztec bandwing shown below was seen on the asphalt drive in the parking lot where its gray and black markings blend in perfectly. Individuals of the same species found on the granite walkways in the Gardens are usually tinged with tan and pink!

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Hemaris diffinis (snowberry clearwing)
photo by Val Bugh


Callophrys gryneus (juniper hairstreak, larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Oxidus gracilis (greenhouse millipede)
photo by Val Bugh


Anasaitis canosa (jumping spider eating webspinner)
photo by Val Bugh


Naphrys acerba (jumping spider eating moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Sarinda hentzi (antmimic jumper)
photo by Val Bugh


Neoscona oaxacensis (orbweaver)
photo by Val Bugh


Chlorochroa ligata (conchuela nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Largus sp. (largus bug nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (damselfly molting)
photo by Val Bugh


Euaresta sp. & Xanthaciura sp. (fruit flies)
photo by Val Bugh


Lactista aztecus (Aztec bandwing camouflaged on asphalt)
photo by Val Bugh


Melanoplus plebejus (plebeian grasshopper nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Paratettix mexicanus (pygmy grasshopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Stagmomantis carolina (Carolina mantis nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Acmaeodera mixta (metallic woodborer)
photo by Dan Zinn


Glyptotus cribratus (darkling beetle)
photo by Val Bugh


Rhodobaenus tredecimpunctatus (cocklebur weevil)
photo by Val Bugh


Sayornis phoebe (eastern phoebe)
photo by Harriett Wolf

  • Birds:
    Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)
    Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri)
    Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
    Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
    Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus)
    House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus)
    Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria)
    Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
    Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris)
    Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus)
    Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra)
    Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
    Western Kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis)
    White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)

  • Mammals:
    Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)
    Nine-banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus)

  • Fish:
    Long-eared Sunfish (Lepomis megalotis)

  • Misc.:
    Polydesmid Millipede (Asiomorpha coarctata)
    Greenhouse Millipede (Oxidus gracilis)
    Striped Bark Scorpion (Centruroides vittatus)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Agraulis vanillae  Gulf Fritillary
        Asterocampa clyton  Tawny Emperor
        Polygonia interrogationis  Question Mark
        Danaus gilippus  Queen
      pieridae  Eurema nicippe  Sleepy Orange
        Eurema lisa  Little Yellow
      lycaenidae  Hemiargus isola  Reakirt's blue
        Callophrys gryneus  Juniper Hairstreak (larva)
      papilionidae  Papilio polyxenes  Black Swallowtail
      hesperiidae  Euphyes vestris  Dun Skipper
        Systasea pulverulenta  Texas Powdered-skipper (larva)
        Pyrgus communis/albescens  Common/White Checkered-skipper
        Pyrgus philetas  Desert Checkered-skipper
      noctuidae  Plusiodonta compressipalpis  Moonseed Moth
      arctiidae  Hypoprepia miniata  Scarlet-winged Lichen Moth
        Cisthene tenuifascia  Lichen Moth (larva)
      sphingidae  Hemaris diffinis  Snowberry Clearwing
      geometridae  Nemoria zygotaria  Emerald
        Tornos scolopacinaria  Moth
      crambidae  Uresiphita reversalis  Genista Caterpillar Moth
        Glaphyria sequistrialis  White-roped Glaphyria
      pyralidae  Ephestiodes sp.  Moth
        Alpheioides parvulalis  Moth
        Galasa nigrinodis  Boxwood Leaftier Moth
      psychidae  Unknown sp.  Bagworm (pupa)
      gelechiidae  Isophrictis similiella  Moth
        Polyhymno luteostrigella  Moth
        Calliprora sexstrigella  Moth
      xyloryctidae  Neoscythris fissirostris  Moth
      coleophoridae  Blastobasis sp.  Moth
      zygaenidae  Acoloithus novaricus  False Skeletonizer Moth
      acrolophidae  Amydria margoriella  Moth

    coleoptera  coccinellidae  Harmonia axyridis  Multi-colored Asian Lady Beetle
        Scymnus sp.  Lady Beetle (larva)
        Zagloba sp.  Lady Beetle
      chrysomelidae  Asphaera lustrans  Flea Beetle
        Altica sp.  Flea Beetle
        Lema trabeata  Leaf Beetle (larva)
      buprestidae  Acmaeodera mixta  Metallic Woodborer
      tenebrionidae  Glyptotus cribratus  Darkling Beetle
      curculionidae  Rhodobaenus tredecimpunctatus  Cocklebur Weevil

    hemiptera  coreidae  Acanthocephala terminalis  Coreid Bug (adult & nymph)
        Mozena lunata  Mesquite Bug
        Leptoglossus phyllopus  Eastern Leaf-footed Bug
        Leptoglossus sp.  Leaf-footed Bug (nymph)
        Narnia femorata  Cactus Bug
      largidae  Largus sp.  Largus Bug (nymph)
      pachygronthidae  Phlegyas annulicrus  Seed Bug
      lygaeidae  Craspeduchus uhleri  Seed Bug
      reduviidae  Zelus renardii  Assassin Bug
        Apiomerus spissipes  Bee Assassin
      pentatomidae  Euschistus servus  Brown Stink Bug
        Euschistus obscurus  Stink Bug
        Chinavia hilare  Green Stink Bug
        Chlorochroa ligata  Conchuela
        Mecidea major  Grass Stink Bug

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Neokolla dolobrata  Leafhopper
        Graphocephala versuta  Leafhopper
        Homalodisca vitripennis  Glassy-winged Sharpshooter (adult & nymph)
        Cuerna costalis  Leafhopper
      cercopidae  Clastoptera sp.  Spittlebug
      cicadidae  Tibicen texanus  Cicada
      aphididae  Unknown sp.  Aphid

    hymenoptera  apidae  Apis mellifera  Honey Bee
        Bombus pensylvanicus  American Bumble Bee
        Xylocopa parkinsoniae  Large Carpenter Bee
      halictidae  Lasioglossum sp.  Sweat Bee
      sphecidae  Sphex ichneumoneus  Great Golden Digger Wasp
        Sceliphron caementarium  Yellow-and-black Mud Dauber
      crabronidae  Sphecius speciosus  Cicada Killer
      vespidae  Polistes exclamans  Paper Wasp
      mutillidae  Myrmilloides gradiceps  Velvet Ant
      formicidae  Solenopsis invicta  Imported Fire Ant
        Camponotus festinatus  Carpenter Ant
      braconidae  Unknown sp.  Braconid Wasp

    diptera  dolichopodidae  Condylostylus sp.  Long-legged Fly
      syrphidae  Copestylum avidum  Flower Fly
      asilidae  Promachus hinei  Robber Fly
      tachinidae  Unknown sp.  Tachinid Fly
      tephritidae  Euaresta sp.  Fruit Fly
        Xanthaciura sp.  Fruit Fly
      culicidae  Aedes albopictus  Asian Tiger Mosquito

    odonata  coenagrionidae  Ischnura ramburii  Rambur's Forktail
        Argia immunda  Kiowa Dancer
        Unknown sp.  Damselfly
      libellulidae  Libellula croceipennis  Neon Skimmer
        Pachydiplax longipennis  Blue Dasher
        Orthemis ferruginea  Roseate Skimmer
        Tramea onusta  Red Saddlebags

    orthoptera  acrididae  Melanoplus plebejus  Plebeian Grasshopper (nymph)
        Melanoplus differentialis  Differential Grasshopper
        Chortophaga viridifasciata  Northern Green-striped Grasshopper (nymph)
        Lactista aztecus  Aztec Bandwing
        Encoptolophus sp.  Bandwing Grasshopper (nymph)
        Mermiria bivittata  Two-striped Mermiria
        Syrbula sp.  Slant-faced Grasshopper (nymph)
      tetrigidae  Paratettix mexicanus  Pygmy Grasshopper
      tettigoniidae  Conocephalus strictus  Straight-lanced Meadow Katydid
        Paracyrtophyllus robustus  Truncated True Katydid
      gryllidae  Oecanthus varicornis  Tree Cricket

    mantodea  mantidae  Stagmomantis carolina  Carolina Mantis (nymph)

    blattodea  blattelidae  Parcoblatta sp.  Wood Roach

    embioptera  oligotomidae  Oligotoma sp.  Webspinner

    araneae  salticidae  Anasaitis canosa  Jumping Spider
        Pelegrina galathea  Peppered Jumper
        Naphrys acerba  Jumping Spider
        Hentzia palmarum  Long-jawed Jumper
        Sarinda hentzi  Antmimic Jumper
      araneidae  Neoscona arabesca  Arabesque Orbweaver
        Neoscona crucifera  Orbweaver
        Neoscona oaxacensis  Orbweaver
      oxyopidae  Peucetia viridans  Green Lynx

previousindexnext   
  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey July 10, 2014