Our party of seven enjoyed cool, sunny and very windy conditions this morning. Caterpillar numbers and diversity were noticeably higher. Profusely blooming Thoroughwort and Blue Mistflower were attracting butterflies, wasps, bees and flies. The mating crab spiders pictured below were engaged in an interesting ritual: the male (who could easily become dinner for the larger female) wrapped a few strands of silk over his docile partner before mating. Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings: Chortophaga viridifasciata (northern green-striped grasshopper nymph) photo by Val Bugh Blepharida rhois (sumac leaf beetle) photo by Val Bugh Xysticus sp. (crab spiders mating) photo by Val Bugh Argyrodes sp. (spider egg sac) photo by Val Bugh Phosphila miselioides (spotted phosphila caterpillar) photo by Val Bugh Unknown sp. (inchworm, family geometridae) photo by Val Bugh Eupithecia miserulata (common pug caterpillar) photo by Val Bugh Microcentrum rhombifolium (greater angle-wing) photo by Val Bugh Orphulella speciosa (pasture grasshopper) photo by Val Bugh Unknown sp. (green lacewing) photo by Val Bugh Vanessa virginiensis (American lady) photo by Val Bugh Anaea andria (goatweed leafwing) photo by Val Bugh Papilio cresphontes (giant swallowtail) photo by Val Bugh Mestra amymone (common mestra) photo by Val Bugh Papilio multicaudata (two-tailed swallowtail) photo by Val Bugh Carposina sasakii (moth) photo by Val Bugh Ammophila sp. (thread-waisted wasp) photo by Val Bugh Gerstaeckeria sp. (weevil) photo by Val Bugh Harrisina sp. (grapeleaf skeletonizer) photo by Val Bugh Birds: Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria) Lincoln's Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii) Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) Western Scrub-jay (Aphelocoma californica) White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica) Insects & Spiders: order family genus/species common name lepidoptera   nymphalidae   Danaus gilippus   Queen       Danaus plexippus   Monarch       Agraulis vanillae   Gulf Fritillary (adult & larva)       Junonia coenia   Common Buckeye       Mestra amymone   Common Mestra       Vanessa virginiensis   American Lady       Anaea andria   Goatweed Leafwing       Phyciodes texana   Texan Crescent    papilionidae   Papilio multicaudata   Two-tailed Swallowtail (larva)       Papilio cresphontes   Giant Swallowtail    pieridae   Pontia protodice   Checkered White       Nathalis iole   Dainty Sulphur       Eurema lisa   Little Yellow       Eurema nicippe   Sleepy Orange    lycaenidae   Hemiargus isola   Reakirt's Blue       Strymon melinus   Gray Hairstreak    hesperiidae   Pyrgus communis/albescens   Common/White Checkered-skipper       Lerodea eufala   Eufala Skipper       Hylephila phyleus   Fiery Skipper       Lerema accius   Clouded Skipper       Atalopedes campestris   Sachem       Euphyes vestris   Dun Skipper    noctuidae   Caenurgina erechtea   Forage Looper Moth       Bulia deducta   Moth       Phosphila miselioides   Spotted Phosphila (larva)       Unknown sp.   Moth       Unknown sp.   Moth (larva)       Spodoptera ornithogalli   Yellow-striped Armyworm       Schinia chrysellus   Broomweed Flower Moth (larva)       Heliothis virescens   Tobacco Budworm    arctiidae   Estigmene acrea   Saltmarsh Moth (larva & eggs)    geometridae   Glenoides texanaria   Texas Gray Moth       Pleuroprucha insulsaria   Common Tan Wave       Macaria aequiferaria   Woody Angle       Unknown sp.   Moth (larva)       Eupithecia miserulata   Common Pug (larva)    crambidae   Nomophila nearctica   Lucerne Moth       Euchromius ocelleus   Grass-veneer Moth    pyralidae   Melitara junctolineella   Cactus Borer Moth    carposinidae   Carposina sasakii   Moth    zygaenidae   Harrisina sp.   Grapeleaf Skeletonizer    psychidae   Unknown sp.   Bagworm (cocoon) odonata   coenagrionidae   Argia immunda   Kiowa Dancer    lestidae   Lestes australis   Southern Spreadwing    libellulidae   Libellula croceipennis   Neon Skimmer       Pantala sp.   Glider       Sympetrum corruptum   Variegated Meadowhawk coleoptera   coccinellidae   Coccinella septempunctata   Seven-spotted Ladybird       Harmonia axyridis   Multi-colored Asian Ladybird (adult & larva)       Cycloneda sanguinea   Red Ladybird    chrysomelidae   Asphaera lustrans   Flea Beetle       Diabrotica undecimpunctata   Spotted Cucumber Beetle       Blepharida rhois   Sumac Leaf Beetle    tenebrionidae   Eleodes goryi   Darkling Beetle    curculionidae   Gerstaeckeria sp.   Weevil       Curculio sp.   Nut Weevil hemiptera   coreidae   Acanthocephala terminalis   Coreid Bug       Hypselonotus punctiventris   Coreid Bug       Anasa tristis   Squash Bug       Mozena lunata   Mesquite Bug       Leptoglossus phyllopus   Leaf-footed Bug       Leptoglossus zonatus   Leaf-footed Bug       Narnia femorata   Cactus Bug       Chelinidea tabulata   Opuntia Bug    alydidae   Hyalymenus tarsatus   Texas Bow-legged Bug    reduviidae   Zelus renardii   Assassin Bug       Zelus longipes   Milkweed Assassin Bug       Phymata sp.   Ambush Bug (nymph)    pentatomidae   Euschistus servus   Brown Stink Bug       Euschistus obscurus   Stink Bug (adult & nymph)       Chinavia hilare   Green Stink Bug       Brochymena sp.   Rough Stink Bug (nymph)    miridae   Polymerus basalis   Plant Bug    scutelleridae   Diolcus chrysorrhoeus   Shield Bug homoptera   acanaloniidae   Acanalonia parva   Planthopper    cicadellidae   Homalodisca vitripennis   Glassy-winged Sharpshooter hymenoptera   vespidae   Polistes exclamans   Paper Wasp       Polistes fuscatus   Paper Wasp       Vespula squamosa   Southern Yellowjacket       Eumenes fraternus   Potter Wasp    sphecidae   Ammophila sp.   Thread-waisted Wasp    apidae   Bombus pensylvanicus   Bumble Bee       Apis mellifera   Honey Bee       Xylocopa tabaniformis   Large Carpenter Bee diptera   tachinidae   Unknown sp.   Tachinid Fly    dolichopodidae   Unknown sp.   Long-legged Fly    neriidae   Odontoloxozus longicornis   Cactus Fly    syrphidae   Toxomerus marginatus   Flower Fly       Copestylum sp.   Flower Fly orthoptera   acrididae   Schistocerca sp.   Bird Grasshopper (nymph)       Schistocerca americana   American Bird Grasshopper       Melanoplus sp.   Spur-throated Grasshopper (nymph)       Melanoplus sp.   Spur-throated Grasshopper       Campylacantha olivacea   Fuzzy Olive-green Grasshopper       Orphulella speciosa   Pasture Grasshopper       Chortophaga viridifasciata   Northern Green-striped Grasshopper (nymph)       Lactista aztecus   Aztec Bandwing       Arphia simplex   Plains Yellow-winged Grasshopper       Trimerotropis pallidipennis   Pallid-winged Grasshopper    tettigoniidae   Scudderia furcata   Fork-tailed Bush Katydid (adult & nymph)       Microcentrum rhombifolium   Greater Angle-wing mantodea   mantidae   Stagmomantis carolina   Carolina Mantis (adult & eggs) neuroptera   hemerobiidae   Unknown sp.   Brown Lacewing (larva)    chrysopidae   Unknown sp.   Green Lacewing araneae   araneidae   Argiope aurantia   Black and Yellow Garden Spider    salticidae   Phidippus audax   Bold Jumper       Phidippus arizonensis   Arizona Jumper       Phidippus cardinalis   Cardinal Jumper       Habronattus coecatus   Jumping Spider       Eris militaris   Bronze Jumper    theriidae   Argyrodes sp.   Spider (eggs)    thomisidae   Mecaphesa sp.   Crab Spider       Xysticus sp.   Crab Spider    dictynidae   Dictyna sp.   Meshweb Weaver    oxyopidae   Peucetia viridans   Green Lynx