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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey May 4, 2017


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

It was a chilly, sunny, very windy morning as eight volunteers participated in this week's survey. The photo below showing lady beetle larvae and aphids includes more than the obvious animals. While the yellow aphids are healthy, the round, reddish individuals have been killed by wasp larvae that grew and then pupated inside of them. The aphid shell with a hole had its wasp parasitoid eaten by one of the lady beetle larvae.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Fernaldella fimetaria (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Melitara junctolineella (cactus borer moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Isophrictis similiella (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Megalopyge opercularis (southern flannel moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Taygete attributella (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Thyris sp. (moth larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Hemaris diffinis (snowberry clearwing larva)
photo by Barbara Ribble


Erynnis funeralis (funereal duskywing)
photo by Val Bugh


Wallengrenia otho (southern broken-dash: two poses)
photo by Val Bugh


Nemotelus sp. (soldier fly)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (horse fly eggs)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (leech egg case)
photo by Val Bugh


Acanthocephala sp. (coreid bug eggs)
photo by Val Bugh


Scymnus sp. & Aphis nerii (lady beetle larvae & oleander aphids)
photo by Val Bugh


Cuerna costalis (leafhopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Calocoris barberi (plant bug)
photo by Val Bugh


Arethaea ambulator (walking thread-legged katydid)
photo by Barbara Ribble


Hesperotettix speciosus (showy grasshopper nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Epinysson sp. (wasp)
photo by Val Bugh


Mangora gibberosa (orbweaver)
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii)
    Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)
    Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus)
    Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)
    Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
    Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica)
    House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus)
    Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Picoides scalaris)
    Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria)
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
    Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris)
    Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)
    Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
    White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus)
    White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)
    Woodhouse's Scrub-jay (Aphelocoma woodhouseii)

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

  • Reptiles:
    Texas Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus olivaceus)

  • Misc.:
    Greenhouse Millipede (Oxidus gracilis)
    Harvestman (Leiobunum sp.)
    Leech (Unknown sp.), egg case

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Agraulis vanillae  Gulf Fritillary (adult, larva & pupa)
        Euptoieta claudia  Variegated Fritillary
        Danaus gilippus  Queen
        Vanessa atalanta  Red Admiral
        Vanessa cardui  Painted Lady
        Junonia coenia  Common Buckeye
        Chlosyne lacinia  Bordered Patch (adult & larva)
        Phyciodes tharos  Pearl Crescent
        Phyciodes phaon  Phaon Crescent
        Phyciodes texana  Texan Crescent
      pieridae  Nathalis iole  Dainty Sulphur
        Eurema nicippe  Sleepy Orange
      papilionidae  Papilio polyxenes  Black Swallowtail (larva)
      lycaenidae  Strymon melinus  Gray Hairstreak
        Calycopis isobeon  Dusky-blue Groundstreak
        Atlides halesus  Great Purple Hairstreak
        Hemiargus isola  Reakirt's Blue
      hesperiidae  Erynnis funeralis  Funereal Duskywing
        Erynnis horatius  Horace's Duskywing
        Pyrgus communis/albescens  Common/White Checkered-skipper
        Wallengrenia otho  Southern Broken-dash
      noctuidae  Tarache quadriplaga  Bird Dropping Moth
        Ponometia candefacta  Olive-shaded Bird Dropping Moth
      arctiidae  Estigmene acrea  Saltmarsh Caterpillar (larva)
        Lycomorpha pholus  Black-and-yellow Lichen Moth
        Virbia aurantiaca  Orange Holomelina Moth
      sphingidae  Hemaris diffinis  Snowberry Clearwing (larva)
      saturniidae  Hyalophora cecropia  Cecropia Moth (larva & pupa)
      megalopygidae  Magalopyge opercularis  southern Flannel Moth
      geometridae  Synchlora frondaria  Southern Emerald (larva)
        Iridopsis defectaria  Brown-shaded Gray Moth
        Psamatodes abydata  Dot-lined Angle
        Glena quinquelinearia  Five-lined Glena
        Fernaldella fimetaria  Moth
      crambidae  Uresiphita reversalis  Genista Caterpillar (larva)
      pyralidae  Peoria opacella  Grass-veneer Moth
        Melitara junctolineella  Cactus Borer Moth
      tortricidae  Cenopis pettitana  Maple-basswood Leafroller Moth
        Platynota rostrana  Omnivorous Platynota Moth
      thyrididae  Thyris sp.  Moth (larva)
      oecophoridae  Inga cretacea  Chalky Inga
      gelechiidae  Isophrictis similiella  Moth
      autostichidae  Taygete attributella  Moth

    coleoptera  coccinellidae  Harmonia axyridis  Multi-colored Asian Lady Beetle (adult & larva)
        Cycloneda sanguinea  Red Lady Beetle
        Cycloneda munda  Lady Beetle (adult & pupa)
        Hippodamia convergens  Convergent Lady Beetle
        Scymnus sp.  Lady Beetle (larva)
      chrysomelidae  Diabrotica undecimpunctata  Spotted Cucumber Beetle
        Brachypnoea sp.  Leaf Beetle
        Fidia cana  Leaf Beetle
        Phyllobrotica limbata  Leaf Beetle
        Oulema collaris  Leaf Beetle
        Plagiometriona clavata  Clavate Tortoise Beetle (larva)
      buprestidae  Acmaeodera ornatoides  Metallic Woodborer
      mordellidae  Mordellistena cervicalis  Tumbling Flower Beetle
      anthribidae  Trigonorhinus limbatus  Fungus Weevil
      attelabidae  Haplorhynchites sp.  Flower Weevil
      curculionidae  Sitona californius  Broad-nosed Weevil

    hemiptera  coreidae  Acanthocephala terminalis  Coreid Bug (adult & nymph)
        Narnia femorata  Cactus Bug (nymph)
        Hypselonotus punctiventris  Coreid Bug
      lygaeidae  Lygaeus kalmii  Small Milkweed Bug
        Oncopeltus fasciatus  Large Milkweed Bug
      rhyparochromidae  Perigenes similis  Seed Bug
      rhopalidae  Arhyssus sp.  Scentless Plant Bug
      miridae  Polymerus basalis  Plant Bug
        Calocoris barberi  Plant Bug
        Hesperolabops gelastops  Cactus Plant Bug
        Poecilocapsus lineatus  Four-lined Plant Bug
      tingidae  Corythucha sp.  Lace Bug
      gerridae  Aquarius remigis  Water Strider
        Unknown sp.  Water Strider
      reduviidae  Zelus renardii  Assassin Bug
        Zelus tetracanthus  Four-spined Assassin Bug
        Arilus cristatus  Wheel Bug (nymph)
      scutelleridae  Sphyrocoris obliquus  Shield Bug
        Homaemus proteus  Shield Bug (adult & nymph)
      pentatomidae  Thyanta custator  Stink Bug
        Chlorochroa ligata  Conchuela (adult, nymph & egg)
        Euschistus servus  Brown Stink Bug

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Neokolla dolobrata  Leafhopper (adult & nymph)
        Graphocephala versuta  Leafhopper
        Cuerna costalis  Leafhopper (adult & nymph)
        Gyponana sp.  Leafhopper
        Homalodisca vitripennis  Glassy-winged Sharpshooter (adult & nymph)
      cercopidae  Prosapia bicincta  Two-lined Spittlebug
        Lepyronia quadrangularis  Spittlebug (adult & nymph)
        Clastoptera sp.  Spittlebug
      membracidae  Ceresa sp.  Treehopper
      flatidae  Metcalfa pruinosa  Citrus Planthopper (nymph)
      acanaloniidae  Acanalonia conica  Planthopper (nymph)
      pseudococcidae  Unknown sp.  Mealybug
      aphididae  Unknown sp.  Aphid
        Aphis nerii  Oleander Aphid

    hymenoptera  apidae  Apis mellifera  Honey Bee
        Anthophora sp.  Digger Bee
        Xylocopa micans  Southern Carpenter Bee
        Xylocopa parkinsoniae  Large Carpenter Bee
        Xylocopa virginica  Eastern Carpenter Bee
      halictidae  Lasioglossum sp.  Sweat Bee
        Unknown sp.  Green Sweat Bee
      andrenidae  Protandrena sp.  Bee
      vespidae  Polistes exclamans  Paper Wasp
      crabronidae  Epinysson sp.  Wasp
        Tachytes distinctus  Digger Wasp
      sphecidae  Sphex ichneumoneus  Great Golden Digger Wasp
        Isodontia sp.  Grass-carrying Wasp
      braconidae  Unknown sp.  Braconid Wasp (pupa)

    diptera  syrphidae  Allograpta obliqua  Flower Fly
        Copestylum mexicanum  Black Flower Fly
        Copestylum tamaulipanum  Flower Fly
        Dioprosopa clavata  Flower Fly (pupa)
      tachinidae  Archytas sp.  Tachinid Fly
        Trichopoda pennipes  Feather-legged Fly
      asilidae  Atomosia melanopogon  Robber Fly
      tabanidae  Unknown sp.  Horse Fly (egg)
      stratiomyidae  Nemotelus sp.  Soldier Fly
        Hermetia illucens  Black Soldier Fly
      dolichopodidae  Condylostylus sp.  Long-legged Fly
      tephritidae  Xanthaciura sp.  Fruit Fly
      bibionidae  Plecia nearctica  Lovebug
      chironomidae  Unknown sp.  Midge

    odonata  coenagrionidae  Argia immunda  Kiowa Dancer
        Argia translata  Dusky Dancer
      libellulidae  Libellula croceipennis  Neon Skimmer
        Orthemis ferruginea  Roseate Skimmer

    orthoptera  acrididae  Melanoplus ponderosus  Ponderous Grasshopper (nymph)
        Melanoplus differentialis  Differential Grasshopper (nymph)
        Melanoplus plebejus  Plebeian Grasshopper (nymph)
        Hesperotettix speciosus  Showy Grasshopper (nymph)
        Schistocerca lineata  Spotted Bird Grasshopper (nymph)
        Lactista aztecus  Aztec Bandwing (nymph)
        Chortophaga viridifasciata  Norther Green-striped Grasshopper
      tettigoniidae  Arethaea ambulator  Walking Thread-legged Katydid
        Scudderia furcata  Fork-tailed Bush Katydid (nymph)
      gryllidae  Oecanthus celerinictus  Fast-calling Tree Cricket

    mantodea  mantidae  Stagmomantis carolina  Carolina Mantis (nymph)

    neuroptera  chrysopidae  Unknown sp.  Green Lacewing (larva)
      mantispidae  Dicromantispa sayi  Mantisfly

    trichoptera  hydropsychidae  Hydropsyche sp.  Netspinning Caddisfly

    araneae  araneidae  Mangora gibberosa  Orbweaver
        Gasteracantha cancriformis  Spiny-backed Orbweaver
        Neoscona arabesca  Arabesque Orbweaver
        Cyclosa turbinata  Trashline Orbweaver
      thomisidae  Mecaphesa sp.  Crab Spider
      anyphaenidae  Hibana sp.  Ghost Spider
      salticidae  Phidippus audax  Bold Jumper
      gnaphosidae  Unknown sp.  Ground Spider
      oxyopidae  Oxyopes salticus  Striped Lynx
        Peucetia viridans  Green Lynx
      lycosidae  Rabidosa rabida  Rabid Wolf Spider

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