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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey July 17, 2014


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

Our team of three enjoyed overcast conditions this week, although it was also hot and humid. Dragonflies are superb aerial predators and the photo of a Neon Skimmer below shows some of their adaptations to this end: huge eyes with good vision, a reinforced thorax with strong wing muscles for fast and maneuverable flight, and sharp spines on their legs for grasping prey.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Pogonomyrmex barbatus (red harvester ant queen)
photo by Val Bugh


Bombus pensylvanicus (American bumble bee - look at all that pollen!)
photo by Val Bugh


Zelus renardii (assassin bug eating bee)
photo by Val Bugh


Largus sp. (largus bug)
photo by Val Bugh


Euschistus sp. (stink bug nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Neopamera bilobata (seed bug)
photo by Val Bugh


Hesperotettix speciosus (showy grasshopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Boopedon gracile (graceful range grasshopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Libellula croceipennis (neon skimmer)
photo by Val Bugh


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


Gerstaeckeria sp. (cactus weevil)
photo by Val Bugh


Synchlora frondaria (southern emerald)
photo by Val Bugh


Adelphia petrella (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Cydia latiferreana (filbertworm moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Stegasta bosqueella (red-necked peanutworm moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Leptotes marina (marine blue)
photo by Val Bugh


Euphyes vestris (dun skipper)
photo by Val Bugh


Hylephila phyleus (fiery skipper)
photo by Val Bugh


Pyrgus philetas (desert checkered-skipper)
photo by Val Bugh


Erynnis horatius (Horace's duskywing)
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
    Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii)
    Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri)
    Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota)
    Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
    Western Scrub-jay (Aphelocoma californica)
    White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)

  • Mammals:
    Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)
    Hispid Cotton Rat (Sigmodon hispidus)
    Roof Rat (Rattus rattus)
    Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)
    Nine-banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus)

  • Reptiles & Amphibians:
    Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis)
    Rio Grande Leopard Frog (Rana berlandieri)

  • Misc.:
    Greenhouse Millipede (Oxidus gracilis)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Agraulis vanillae  Gulf Fritillary
        Asterocampa sp.  Emperor
        Junonia coenia  Common Buckeye
        Danaus gilippus  Queen
      pieridae  Eurema nicippe  Sleepy Orange
        Eurema lisa  Little Yellow
      lycaenidae  Hemiargus isola  Reakirt's blue
        Leptotes marina  Marine Blue
        Strymon melinus  Gray Hairstreak
      papilionidae  Papilio cresphontes  Giant Swallowtail
      hesperiidae  Euphyes vestris  Dun Skipper
        Lerema accius  Clouded Skipper
        Lerodea eufala  Eufala Skipper
        Hylephila phyleus  Fiery Skipper
        Atalopedes campestris  Sachem
        Systasea pulverulenta  Texas Powdered-skipper (larva)
        Pyrgus communis/albescens  Common/White Checkered-skipper
        Pyrgus philetas  Desert Checkered-skipper
        Erynnis horatius  Horace's Duskywing
      noctuidae  Melipotis indomita  Moth
        Bleptina caradrinalis  Bent-winged Owlet
        Bagisara nr. rectifascia  Moth (larva)
      arctiidae  Hypercompe scribonia  Great Leopard Moth (larva)
      geometridae  Synchlora frondaria  Southern Emerald
        Tornos scolopacinaria  Moth
      crambidae  Uresiphita reversalis  Genista Caterpillar Moth
        Stegea simplicialis  Moth
        Achyra rantalis  Garden Webworm Moth
        Pyrausta laticlavia  Southern Purple Mint Moth
        Pyrausta inornatalis  Inornate Pyrausta Moth
      pyralidae  Peoria tetradella  Moth
        Adelphia petrella  Moth
      tortricidae  Aethes seriatana  Serieated Aethes Moth
        Cydia latiferreana  Filbertworm Moth
      oecophoridae  Inga obscuromaculella  Moth
      gelechiidae  Isophrictis similiella  Moth
        Polyhymno luteostrigella  Moth
        Stegasta bosqueella  Red-necked Peanutworm Moth
      ypsolophidae  Ypsolopha unicipunctella  Agarita Slug Moth
      zygaenidae  Acoloithus novaricus  False Skeletonizer Moth (larva)
      acrolophidae  Amydria margoriella  Moth

    coleoptera  coccinellidae  Cycloneda sanguinea  Red Ladybird
        Scymnus sp.  Ladybird Beetle (adult & larva)
        Zagloba sp.  Ladybird Beetle
      chrysomelidae  Asphaera lustrans  Flea Beetle
      cerambycidae  Lepturges angulatus  Longhorn Beetle
      hybosoridae  Hybosorus illigeri  Scavenger Scarab Beetle
      scarabaeidae  Phyllophaga sp.  June Beetle
      anthicidae  Notoxus sp.  Antlike Flower Beetle
      curculionidae  Rhodobaenus tredecimpunctatus  Cocklebur Weevil
        Gerstaeckeria sp.  Cactus Weevil

    hemiptera  coreidae  Acanthocephala terminalis  Coreid Bug
        Hypselonotus punctiventris  Coreid Bug
        Leptoglossus phyllopus  Eastern Leaf-footed Bug
        Narnia femorata  Cactus Bug
      largidae  Largus sp.  Largus Bug (adult & nymph)
      rhyparochromidae  Neopamera bilobata  Seed Bug
      lygaeidae  Lygaeus kalmii  Small Milkweed Bug
        Oncopeltus fasciatus  Large Milkweed Bug
      reduviidae  Zelus renardii  Assassin Bug
      pentatomidae  Euschistus sp.  Stink Bug

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Neokolla dolobrata  Leafhopper
        Homalodisca vitripennis  Glassy-winged Sharpshooter (adult & nymph)
        Cuerna costalis  Leafhopper
      cercopidae  Clastoptera sp.  Spittlebug
      cicadidae  Tibicen texanus  Cicada
        Tibicen superbus  Superb 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
      vespidae  Polistes exclamans  Paper Wasp
        Polistes carolina  Red Wasp
        Polistes bellicosus  Paper Wasp
      formicidae  Solenopsis invicta  Imported Fire Ant
        Pogonomyrmex barbatus  Red Harvester Ant

    diptera  dolichopodidae  Condylostylus sp.  Long-legged Fly
      lauxaniidae  Unknown sp.  Lauxaniid Fly
      asilidae  Promachus hinei  Robber Fly
      drosophilidae  Unknown sp.  Vinegar Fly
      sarcophagidae  Unknown sp.  Flesh Fly
      calliphoridae  Lucilia sp.  Blow Fly
      culicidae  Aedes albopictus  Asian Tiger Mosquito

    odonata  coenagrionidae  Ischnura ramburii  Rambur's Forktail
        Argia immunda  Kiowa Dancer
        Enallagma civile  Familiar Bluet
      libellulidae  Libellula croceipennis  Neon Skimmer
        Pachydiplax longipennis  Blue Dasher
        Tramea onusta  Red Saddlebags
      aeshnidae  Anax junius  Common Green Darner (exuviae)

    orthoptera  acrididae  Schistocerca sp.  Bird Grasshopper (nymph)
        Schistocerca nitens  Gray Bird Grasshopper
        Chortophaga viridifasciata  Northern Green-striped Grasshopper
        Lactista aztecus  Aztec Bandwing
        Encoptolophus costalis  Dusky Grasshopper
        Mermiria bivittata  Two-striped Mermiria
        Eritettix abortivus  Texas Short-winged Slant-faced Grasshopper (nymph)
        Boopedon gracile  Graceful Range Grasshopper
        Orphulella speciosa  Pasture Grasshopper
        Hesperotettix speciosus  Showy Grasshopper
      tettigoniidae  Conocephalus strictus  Straight-lanced Meadow Katydid
        Orchelimum sp.  Meadow Katydid (nymph)
        Dichopetala catinata  Spoon-tailed Short-winged Katydid
      gryllidae  Oecanthus varicornis  Tree Cricket

    trichoptera  hydropsychidae  Hydropsyche sp.  Netspinning Caddisfly

    neuroptera  ascalaphidae  Ululodes macleayanus  Owlfly

    embioptera  oligotomidae  Oligotoma sp.  Webspinner

    araneae  salticidae  Phidippus audax  Bold Jumper
        Habronattus cognatus  Jumping Spider
      araneidae  Argiope aurantia  Black and Yellow Garden Spider
        Araneus bicentenarius  Giant Lichen Orbweaver
        Eustala anastera  Orbweaver

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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey July 17, 2014