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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey September 25, 2010


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

This survey was conducted by one person under mostly sunny skies with oppressive heat and humidity. The Gecko egg found in the stonework in the Display Gardens was about 1 cm in length - impressive for a lizard that is only about 4.5 inches long. The egg had hatched and had an almost circular opening at one end. The Mantis was first seen as it began egg-laying. It finished its task after 1.5 hours.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Epicauta sp. (blister beetle)
photo by Val Bugh


Argia fumipennis (variable dancer)
photo by Val Bugh


Pachydiplax longipennis (blue dasher)
photo by Val Bugh


Euparius marmoreus (fungus weevil)
photo by Val Bugh


Galasa nigrinodis (boxwood leaftier moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Schinia sanguinea (flower moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Hemidactylus turcicus (Mediterranean gecko egg)
photo by Val Bugh


Rhynchomitra microrhina (planthopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Leptoglossus zonatus (leaf-footed bug)
photo by Val Bugh


Stagmomantis carolina (Carolina mantis laying eggs)
photo by Val Bugh


Danaus plexippus (monarch)
photo by Val Bugh


Campylacantha olivacea (fuzzy olive-green grasshopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Hesperotettix speciosus (showy grasshopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Chelinidea vittiger (opuntia bug)
photo by Val Bugh


Pelegrina galathea (peppered jumper stalking aphids)
photo by Val Bugh


Oebalus pugnax (rice stink bug)
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
    Western Scrub-jay (Aphelocoma californica)
    White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)

  • Reptiles:
    Mediterranean Gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus)

  • Mollusks:
    Globular Drop (Helicina orbiculata)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Danaus gilippus  Queen
        Danaus plexippus  Monarch (adult & larva)
        Agraulis vanillae  Gulf Fritillary
      pieridae  Phoebis sennae  Cloudless Sulphur
      papilionidae  Papilio polyxenes  Black Swallowtail
      hesperiidae  Systasea pulverulenta  Texas Powdered-skipper (larva)
        Thorybes pylades  Northern Cloudywing
      noctuidae  Plusiodonta compressipalpis  Moonseed Moth
        Schinia sanguinea  Flower Moth
        Ponometia phecolisca  Bird Dropping Moth
        Ponometia candefacta  Olive-shaded Bird Dropping Moth
      tortricidae  Acleris minuta  Yellow-headed Fireworm Moth
      oecophoridae  Inga cretacea  Chalky Inga
      crambidae  Lipocosmodes new sp.  Moth
        Pyrausta laticlavia  Southern Purple Mint Moth
      pyralidae  Galasa nigrinodis  Boxwood Leaftier Moth
      geometridae  Glena quinquelinearia  Five-lined Glena
        Eubaphe unicolor  Moth

    odonata  libellulidae  Pachydiplax longipennis  Blue Dasher
        Libellula croceipennis  Neon Skimmer
      aeshnidae  Anax junius  Common Green Darner
      coenagrionidae  Argia fumipennis  Variable Dancer
        Argia immunda  Kiowa Dancer

    coleoptera  coccinellidae  Coccinella septempunctata  Seven-spotted Ladybird
        Harmonia axyridis  Multi-colored Asian Ladybird
      meloidae  Epicauta sp.  Blister Beetle
      anthribidae  Euparius marmoreus  Fungus Weevil
      cerambycidae  Ataxia crypta  Long-horned Beetle
      chrysomelidae  Asphaera lustrans  Flea Beetle

    hemiptera  coreidae  Acanthocephala terminalis  Coreid Bug
        Anasa tristis  Squash Bug
        Chelinidea vittiger  Opuntia Bug (adult & nymph)
        Chelinidea tabulata  Opuntia Bug
        Narnia femorata  Cactus Bug
        Leptoglossus zonatus  Leaf-footed Bug
      hydrometridae  Hydrometra sp.  Marsh Treader
      reduviidae  Zelus renardii  Assassin Bug
        Apiomerus spissipes  Bee Assassin
      pentatomidae  Oebalus pugnax  Rice Stink Bug
        Acrosternum hilare  Green Stink Bug (adult & nymph)

    homoptera  acanaloniidae  Acanalonia parva  Planthopper
      dictyopharidae  Rhynchomitra microrhina  Planthopper
      margarodidae  Unknown sp.  Scale
      aphididae  Unknown sp.  Aphid

    hymenoptera  vespidae  Vespula squamosa  Southern Yellowjacket
      sphecidae  Sphex ichneumoneus  Great Golden Digger Wasp
      apidae  Bombus pensylvanicus  Bumble Bee

    diptera  culicidae  Ochlerotatus trivittatus  Mosquito
      unknown family  Unknown sp.  Fly

    orthoptera  acrididae  Schistocerca damnifica  Mischievous Bird Grasshopper
        Melanoplus flabellatus  Spur-throated Grasshopper
        Melanoplus sp.  Spur-throated Grasshopper
        Melanoplus differentialis  Differential Grasshopper
        Hesperotettix speciosus  Showy Grasshopper
        Campylacantha olivacea  Fuzzy Olive-green Grasshopper
        Lactista aztecus  Aztec Bandwing
      tettigoniidae  Scudderia furcata  Fork-tailed Bush Katydid (nymph)
        Conocephalus sp.  Meadow Katydid (nymph)
        Pediodectes bruneri  Bruner's Shieldback

    mantodea  mantidae  Stagmomantis carolina  Carolina Mantis

    araneae  araneidae  Argiope aurantia  Black and Yellow Garden Spider
      salticidae  Phidippus audax  Bold Jumper
        Phidippus arizonensis  Arizona Jumper
        Pelegrina galathea  Peppered Jumper
        Anasaitis canosa  Jumping Spider

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