The trails in this neighborhood park connect to the Hampton Branch Library, behind which are water retention ponds that provide a small wetlands habitat. This time the weather was sunny but remained cool enough to be comfortable. Val Bugh Opheodrys aestivus (rough green snake) Vanessa virginiensis (American lady) Danaus plexippus (monarch larva) Pontia protodice (checkered white) Sometimes things do not go well when insects molt, such as when a leg or wing gets irremediably stuck in the old skin. This butterfly died as it was eclosing (emerging from its chrysalis), possibly because the temperature was too cold or heavy rain hindered the animal's ability to pull free. Ozodiceromyia sp. (stiletto fly) Trichopoda lanipes (feather-legged fly) This is a kind of tachinid fly; its larvae are parasitoids of true bugs. Cerceris sp. (wasp) Bouteloua rigidiseta (Texas grama) Avena fatua & Ustilago sp. (wild oat infected with smut fungus) Valerianella amarella (hairy cornsalad) Chaetopappa bellidifolia (Edwards lazy daisy) Linum hudsonioides (Texas flax) Erodium texanum (Texas stork's bill) Modiola caroliniana (Carolina bristlemallow) I have found Checkered-skipper caterpillars feeding on this plant. They create a leaf shelter and, in my experience, prefer to reside on plants that are growing in a parking lot where they might be run over. Hedeoma acinoides (slender false pennyroyal) Herbertia lahue (herbertia) the retention pond behind the library Lestes alacer (plateau spreadwing) Spreadwing damselflies often perch just as their name implies: with wings spread out flat in a manner similar to many dragonflies. This is, however, an unreliable characteristic; the insect can just as easily fold its wings up behind its back. Arethaea ambulator (walking thread-legged katydid nymph) The specific and common names of this katydid refer to the fact that adults have wings that are too small for flight. There is another thread-legged katydid in our area that CAN fly. Linogeraeus neglectus (weevils mating) Mordellistena cervicalis (tumbling flower beetle) The common name of beetles in this family comes from their predilection to escape danger (or an approaching camera) by simply releasing their grip and falling off the plant. Once on the ground, they are nearly impossible to locate. Heliocis repanda (false blister beetle) Trichiotinus texanus (Texas flower scarab) Euphoria kernii (flower scarab) Acmaeodera ornatoides & Acmaeodera neglecta (metallic woodborers) The first species listed is the one in the center of the photo, with two individuals of the second species toward the edges. The common name for this family refers to both the coloration of some adults and the larval food. Arilus cristatus (wheel bug nymph) Chlorochroa ligata (conchuela) Chinavia hilaris (green stink bug) Mecidea major (grass stink bug) Most stink bugs (family Pentatomidae) are shield-shaped and fairly wide, such as shown in the two preceding photos. The narrow form of this one certainly helps with camouflage in its weedy habitat. Oncopeltus fasciatus (large milkweed bug) Polymerus basalis (plant bug) Poecilocapsus lineatus (four-lined plant bug) Oxyopes salticus & Oncometopia clarior (striped lynx eating leafhopper)