After a light frost the previous night, the morning was pleasantly cool and sunny as eight people contributed to this week's survey. Ground beetles belong to the large family Carabidae. They are predators, actively hunting down their prey, which they dispatch with strong jaws. The beetle shown below had little trouble catching a grasshopper too cold to jump away. Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings: hoarfrost on leaf photo by Val Bugh Taylorilygus apicalis (very wet plant bug) photo by Dan Zinn Hesperolabops gelastops (cactus plant bug) photo by Val Bugh Arilus cristatus (wheel bug) photo by Val Bugh Thyanta custator (stink bug nymph) photo by Val Bugh Diabrotica undecimpunctata (spotted cucumber beetle) photo by Dvori Bird Carabus sp. (ground beetle attacking grasshopper) photo by Val Bugh Pareuchaetes insulata (yellow-winged pareuchaetes) photo by Val Bugh Euptoieta claudia (variegated fritillary) photo by Val Bugh Agraulis vanillae (gulf fritillary) photo by Harriett Wolf Dryas iulia (Julia heliconian) photo by Val Bugh Danaus eresimus (soldier) photo by Val Bugh Vanessa cardui (painted lady) photo by Dan Zinn Phyciodes texana (Texan crescent) photo by Val Bugh Pyrgus communis/albescens (common/white checkered-skipper) photo by Val Bugh Colias eurytheme (orange sulphur) photo by Val Bugh Stagmomantis carolina (Carolina mantis nymph) photo by Val Bugh Carpodacus mexicanus (house finch) photo by Barbara Ribble Sayornis phoebe (eastern phoebe) photo by Pat Dittmar Mimus polyglottos (northern mockingbird) photo by Dvori Bird Birds: American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) Black-bellied Whistling-duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis) Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus) Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla) House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Picoides scalaris) Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria) Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) Orange-crowned Warbler (Oreothlypis celata) Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) Yellow-rumped Warbler (Dendroica coronata) Mammals: Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger) Misc.: Harvestman (Leiobunum sp.) Julid Millipede (Aniulus sp.) Insects & Spiders: order family genus/species common name lepidoptera   nymphalidae   Agraulis vanillae   Gulf Fritillary       Euptoieta claudia   Variegated Fritillary       Dryas iulia   Julia Heliconian       Danaus gilippus   Queen (adult & larva)       Danaus eresimus   Soldier       Junonia coenia   Common Buckeye       Mestra amymone   Common Mestra       Vanessa virginiensis   American Lady       Vanessa cardui   Painted Lady       Libytheana carinenta   American Snout       Phyciodes texana   Texan Crescent    pieridae   Phoebis sennae   Cloudless Sulphur       Zerene cesonia   Southern Dogface       Eurema lisa   Little Yellow       Eurema nicippe   Sleepy Orange       Eurema proterpia   Tailed Orange       Colias eurytheme   Orange Sulphur       Nathalis iole   Dainty Sulphur    lycaenidae   Hemiargus isola   Reakirt's Blue       Strymon melinus   Gray Hairstreak    papilionidae   Papilio cresphontes   Giant Swallowtail (larva)    hesperiidae   Lerodea eufala   Eufala Skipper       Hylephila phyleus   Fiery Skipper       Atalopedes campestris   Sachem       Pyrgus communis/albescens   Common/White Checkered-skipper    erebidae   Hypena scabra   Green Cloverworm Moth    arctiidae   Pareuchaetes insulata   Yellow-winged Pareuchaetes       Estigmene acrea   Saltmarsh Caterpillar (larva)    geometridae   Tornos scolopacinaria   Dimorphic Gray       Eupithecia miserulata   Common Eupithecia (larva)    crambidae   Nomophila nearctica   Lucerne Moth       Pyrausta inornatalis   Inornate Pyrausta Moth    megalopygidae   Megalopyge opercularis   Southern Flannel Moth (pupa) coleoptera   coccinellidae   Coccinella septempunctata   Seven-spotted Lady Beetle       Harmonia axyridis   Multi-colored Asian Lady Beetle    chrysomelidae   Diabrotica undecimpunctata   Spotted Cucumber Beetle    carabidae   Carabus sp.   Ground Beetle hemiptera   coreidae   Hypselonotus punctiventris   Coreid Bug    reduviidae   Zelus renardii   Assassin Bug       Zelus cervicalis   Assassin Bug       Arilus cristatus   Wheel Bug    miridae   Polymerus basalis   Plant Bug       Taylorilygus apicalis   Plant Bug       Hesperolabops gelastops   Cactus Plant Bug    rhopalidae   Harmostes reflexulus   Scentless Plant Bug       Niesthrea louisianica   Scentless Plant Bug    pentatomidae   Thyanta custator   Stink Bug (adult & nymph) homoptera   cicadellidae   Neokolla uhleri   Leafhopper hymenoptera   halictidae   Augochloropsis metallica   Green Sweat Bee diptera   syrphidae   Toxomerus marginatus   Flower Fly    anthomyiidae   Unknown sp.   Root Maggot Fly odonata   libellulidae   Sympetrum corruptum   Variegated Meadowhawk orthoptera   acrididae   Melanoplus differentialis   Differential Grasshopper       Melanoplus ponderosus   Ponderous Grasshopper       Campylacantha olivacea   Fuzzy Olive-green Grasshopper (nymph)       Schistocerca americana   American Bird Grasshopper       Lactista aztecus   Aztec Bandwing       Trimerotropis pallidipennis   Pallid-winged Grasshopper       Encoptolophus subgracilis   Southwestern Dusky Grasshopper    gryllidae   Oecanthus celerinictus   Fast-calling Tree Cricket mantodea   mantidae   Stagmomantis carolina   Carolina Mantis (nymph) neuroptera   chrysopidae   Chrysoperla sp.   Green Lacewing araneae   salticidae   Phidippus audax   Bold Jumper    oxyopidae   Peucetia viridans   Green Lynx    thomisidae   Mecaphesa sp.   Crab Spider       Xysticus sp.   Crab Spider    araneidae   Argiope aurantia   Black and Yellow Garden Spider (eggs)    dictynidae   Unknown sp.   Meshweb Weaver