previousindexnext   
  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey October 22, 2015


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

An eight-person team enjoyed warm and overcast conditions after light drizzle the previous night. Snakes use their forked tongues to sense chemicals in the air (smell) and also deliver these molecules to organs in the roof of their mouth. Though snakes often rapidly flick their tongues in/out and up/down, we noticed that the green snake shown below sometimes held its tongue still for several seconds while just the tips waved around.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Opheodrys aestivus (rough green snake)
photo by Val Bugh


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


Coccinella septempunctata (very wet seven-spotted lady beetle)
photo by Val Bugh


Diabrotica undecimpunctata (spotted cucumber beetle)
photo by Val Bugh


Pasimachus californicus (ground beetle)
photo by Dan Zinn


Schistocerca lineata (spotted bird grasshoppers mating)
photo by Val Bugh


Euxesta sp. (picture-winged fly)
photo by Val Bugh


Acinopterus sp. (leafhopper: nymph & adult)
photo by Val Bugh


Niesthrea louisianica (scentless plant bug nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Anacampsis fullonella (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Chionodes phalacra (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Coleophora sp. (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Uresiphita reversalis (genista caterpillar moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Diaphania hyalinata (melonworm moth)
photo by Dan Zinn


Peoria opacella (grass-veneer moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Cisthene unifascia (lichen moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Scopula compensata (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Psamatodes abydata (dot-lined angle)
photo by Val Bugh


Megalopyge opercularis (southern flannel moth larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Estigmene acrea (saltmarsh caterpillar)
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus)
    Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)
    Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)
    Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
    Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria)
    Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
    Western Scrub-jay (Aphelocoma californica)

  • Reptiles & Amphibians:
    Mediterranean Gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus)
    Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis)
    Redstripe Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis proximus rubrilineatus)
    Rough Green Snake (Opheodrys aestivus)
    Rio Grande Leopard Frog (Rana berlandieri)
    Gulf Coast Toad (Bufo nebulifer), tadpoles

  • Mammals:
    Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)
    Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)

  • Fish:
    Sunfish (Lepomis sp.)
    Rio Grande Cichlid (Cichlasoma cyanoguttatum)

  • Misc.:
    Greenhouse Millipede (Oxidus gracilis)
    Harvestman (Leiobunum sp.)
    Globular Drop (Helicina orbiculata)
    Garden Snail (Otala lactea)
    Land Snail (Bradybaena similaris)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Danaus plexippus  Monarch (adult & larva)
        Agraulis vanillae  Gulf Fritillary (larva)
        Mestra amymone  Common Mestra
      pieridae  Phoebis sennae  Cloudless Sulphur
      papilionidae  Battus philenor  Pipevine Swallowtail (larva)
      lycaenidae  Hemiargus isola  Reakirt's Blue
      hesperiidae  Lerodea eufala  Eufala Skipper
        Euphyes vestris  Dun Skipper
        Lerema accius  Clouded Skipper
      noctuidae  Cobubatha lixiva  Moth
        Eublemma recta  Moth
        Galgula partita  The Wedgling
        Micrathetis triplex  Moth
        Lacinipolia erecta  Moth
        Anicla infecta  Green Cutworm Moth
        Spodoptera frugiperda  Fall Armyworm Moth
        Spodoptera albula  Gray Streaked Armyworm Moth
        Heliothis virescens  Tobacco Budworm (larva)
        Schinia arcigera  Flower Moth
        Helicoverpa zea  Corn Earworm Moth
      erebidae  Hypena scabra  Green Cloverworm Moth
        Plusiodonta compressipalpis  Moonseed Moth
        Lesmone hinna  Owlet Moth
        Melipotis cellaris  Moth
      arctiidae  Virbia sp.  Moth
        Cisthene unifascia  Lichen Moth
        Estigmene acrea  Saltmarsh Caterpillar (larva)
      saturniidae  Automeris io  Io Moth (larva)
      sphingidae  Eumorpha fasciatus  Banded Sphinx (larva)
      geometridae  Scopula compensata  Moth
        Unknown sp.  Moth (larva)
        Iridopsis defectaria  Brown-shaded Gray Moth
        Anavitrinella atristrigaria  Gulf Coast Gray
        Rindgea nigricomma  Moth
        Rindgea cyda  Mesquite Looper Moth
        Digrammia pallidata  Moth
        Digrammia californiaria  Moth
        Digrammia atrofasciata  Moth
        Psamatodes abydata  Dot-lined Angle
        Pleuroprucha insulsaria  Common Tan Wave
        Chlorochlamys chloroleucaria  Blackberry Looper (larva)
      crambidae  Uresiphita reversalis  Genista Caterpillar Moth
        Petrophila jaliscalis  Moth
        Hymenia perspectalis  Spotted Beet Webworm Moth
        Glaphyria sequistrialis  White-roped Glaphyria
        Spoladea recurvalis  Hawaiian Beet Webworm Moth
        Diaphania hyalinata  Melonworm Moth
        Herpetogramma phaeopteralis  Dusky Herpetogramma
        Euchromius ocelleus  Grass-veneer Moth
        Microcrambus croesus  Grass-veneer Moth
      pyralidae  Homoeosoma electella  Sunflower Moth
        Peoria opacella  Grass-veneer Moth
        Alberada parabates  Cactus Borer Moth
      tortricidae  Crocidosema plebejana  Cotton Tipworm Moth
        Eumarozia malachitana  Sculptured Moth
        Cydia latiferreana  Filbertworm Moth
        Bactra verutana  Javelin Moth
        Decodes basiplagana  Leafroller Moth
        Platynota flavedana  Black-shaded Platynota Moth
        Cochylis sp.  Moth
        Aethes seriatana  Seriated Aethes Moth
      megalopygidae  Megalopyge opercularis  Southern Flannel Moth (larva)
      carposinidae  Carposina sasakii  Peach Fruitworm Moth
      psychidae  Unknown sp.  Bagworm Moth
      oecophoridae  Antaeotricha humilis  Moth
        Inga obscuromaculella  Moth
      coleophoridae  Blastobasis glandulella  Acorn Moth
        Coleophora sp.  Moth
      gelechiidae  Battaristis concinusella  Moth
        Battaristis n. sp.  Moth
        Aristotelia sp.  Moth
        Isophrictis similiella  Moth
        Anacampsis fullonella  Moth
        Chionodes phalacra  Moth
        Dichomeris costarufoella  Moth

    coleoptera  chrysomelidae  Diabrotica undecimpunctata  Spotted Cucumber Beetle
        Mimosestes amicus  Seed Beetle
      coccinellidae  Cycloneda sanguinea  Red Lady Beetle
        Coccinella septempunctata  Seven-spotted Lady Beetle
        Harmonia axyridis  Multi-colored Asian Lady Beetle
        Scymnus sp.  Lady Beetle (larva)
      carabidae  Pasimachus californicus  Ground Beetle
      tenebrionidae  Glyptotus cribratus  Darkling Beetle

    hemiptera  coreidae  Acanthocephala terminalis  Coreid Bug
        Leptoglossus phyllopus  Eastern Leaf-footed Bug
        Hypselonotus punctiventris  Coreid Bug
      rhopalidae  Niesthrea louisianica  Scentless Plant Bug (adult & nymph)
      lygaeidae  Oncopeltus fasciatus  Large Milkweed Bug (adult & nymph)
      miridae  Halticotoma valida  Yucca Plant Bug
        Phytocoris sp.  Plant Bug
        Neurocolpus sp.  Plant Bug
        Dichrooscytus sp.  Plant Bug
      pentatomidae  Euschistus servus  Brown Stink Bug
        Euschistus sp.  Stink Bug (nymph)
        Oebalus pugnax  Rice Stink Bug

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Gyponana sp.  Leafhopper
        Deltocephalus sonorus  Leafhopper
        Acinopterus sp.  Leafhopper (adult & nymph)
      delphacidae  Stenocranus sp.  Planthopper
      dactylopiidae  Dactylopius sp.  Cochineal Insect
      pseudococcidae  Unknown sp.  Mealybug

    hymenoptera  apidae  Apis mellifera  Honey Bee
        Bombus pensylvanicus  American Bumble Bee
        Xylocopa virginica  Eastern Carpenter Bee
      megachilidae  Megachile sp.  Leaf-cutter Bee
      vespidae  Vespula squamosa  Southern Yellowjacket
      sphecidae  Sphex ichneumoneus  Great Golden Digger Wasp
      formicidae  Solenopsis invicta  Imported Fire Ant
      ichneumonidae  Unknown sp.  Ichneumon

    diptera  culicidae  Aedes albopictus  Asian Tiger Mosquito
      limoniidae  Unknown sp.  Crane Fly
      ulidiidae  Euxesta sp.  Picture-winged Fly
      neriidae  Odontoloxozus longicornis  Cactus Fly
      sarcophagidae  Unknown sp.  Flesh Fly
      asilidae  Mallophora leschenaulti  Robber Fly (eggs)

    orthoptera  acrididae  Melanoplus plebejus  Plebeian Grasshopper
        Melanoplus differentialis  Differential Grasshopper
        Schistocerca lineata  Spotted Bird Grasshopper
        Schistocerca nitens  Gray Bird Grasshopper (nymph)
        Lactista aztecus  Aztec Bandwing (adult & nymph)
      tettigoniidae  Scudderia furcata  Fork-tailed Bush Katydid (nymph)
      gryllidae  Gryllus sp.  Field Cricket

    neuroptera  chrysopidae  Chrysoperla sp.  Green Lacewing
        Unknown sp.  Green Lacewing (larva, pupa & egg)
      hemerobiidae  Sympherobius occidentalis  Brown Lacewing

    trichoptera  philopotamidae  Chimarra sp.  Black Caddisfly
      hydropsychidae  Hydropsyche sp.  Netspinning Caddisfly

    araneae  salticidae  Phidippus audax  Bold Jumper
      anyphaenidae  Hibana sp.  Ghost Spider
      thomisidae  Mecaphesa sp.  Crab Spider
      oxyopidae  Peucetia viridans  Green Lynx
      araneidae  Neoscona crucifera  Orbweaver

previousindexnext   
  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey October 22, 2015