Our party of three enjoyed a cool and very overcast morning this time, which kept butterfly numbers down but didn't deter other insects, such as leaf beetles and plant bugs. The male Neon Skimmer pictured below had just eclosed (molted its nymph skin, which is just to its right). It will turn brilliant red in a few days. Speaking of bright colors, the very pink Gray Hairstreak caterpillar was feeding on False Indigo. These larvae often develop colors that help them blend with, or at least complement, the flower they are eating. Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings: Apiomerus spissipes (bee assassin) photo by Val Bugh Metriorrhynchomiris dislocatus (plant bug) photo by Val Bugh Taedia sp. (plant bug) photo by Val Bugh Cryptocephalus mucoreus (leaf beetle) photo by Val Bugh Neacreotrichus sp. (bee fly) photo by Val Bugh Unknown sp. (dance fly) photo by Val Bugh Chrysopilus sp. (snipe fly) photo by Val Bugh Unknown sp. (long-legged fly) photo by Val Bugh Unknown sp. (tachinid fly) photo by Val Bugh Episemasia cervinaria (inchworm, family Geometridae) photo by Val Bugh Hyles lineata (white-lined sphinx, larva) photo by Val Bugh Deidamia inscripta (lettered sphinx, larva) photo by Val Bugh Strymon melinus (gray hairstreak, larva) photo by Val Bugh Papilio multicaudata (two-tailed swallowtail, larva) photo by Val Bugh Pseudogalleria inimicella (inimical borer moth) photo by Val Bugh Iridopsis defectaria (brown-shaded gray moth) photo by Val Bugh Harrisina coracina (grapeleaf skeletonizer moth) photo by Val Bugh Eutelia pulcherrimus (beautiful eutelia) photo by Val Bugh Libellula croceipennis (neon skimmer) photo by Val Bugh Neivamyrmex sp. (legionary ant, male - also called "sausage fly") photo by Val Bugh Birds: Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus) Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica) Mammals: Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger) Reptiles: Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) Insects & Spiders: order family genus/species common name lepidoptera   nymphalidae   Danaus plexippus   Monarch    lycaenidae   Callophrys henrici   Henry's Elfin (larva)       Strymon melinus   Gray Hairstreak (larva)    papilionidae   Papilio multicaudata   Two-tailed Swallowtail (larva)    pieridae   Colias eurytheme   Orange Sulphur       Eurema nicippe   Sleepy Orange    noctuidae   Lacinipolia laudabilis   Laudable Arches Moth       Lacinipolia erecta   Moth       Phosphila miselioides   Spotted Phosphila       Eutelia pulcherrimus   Beautiful Eutelia       Galgula partita   The Wedgling       Acronicta americana   American Dagger       Hypena scabra   Green Cloverworm Moth       Alypia octomaculata   Eight-spotted Forester (larva)       Peridroma saucia   Variegated Cutworm (larva)       Heliothis virescens   Tobacco Budworm (larva)       Unknown sp.   Moth (larva)    arctiidae   Estigmene acrea   Saltmarsh Caterpillar       Virbia costata   Moth       Cisthene barnesii   Lichen Moth    notodontidae   Hippia packardii   Prominent (larva)    sphingidae   Dolba hyloeus   Pawpaw Sphinx       Hyles lineata   White-lined Sphinx (larva)       Deidamia inscripta   Lettered Sphinx (larva)    geometridae   Iridopsis defectaria   Brown-shaded Gray Moth       Lobocleta peralbata   White Wave       Pero meskaria   Moth       Chlorochlamys chloroleucaria   Blackberry Looper Moth       Chlorochlamys phyllinaria   Emerald       Glenoides texanaria   Texas Gray Moth       Phigalia titea   Halfwing (larva)       Episemasia cervinaria   Inchworm (larva)    crambidae   Desmia subdivisalis   Moth       Loxostege allectalis   Moth    pyralidae   Parachma ochracealis   Moth       Adelphia petrella   Moth    tortricidae   Platynota flavedana   Black-shaded Platynota Moth       Pseudogalleria inimicella   Inimical Borer Moth    pterophoridae   Unknown sp.   Plume Moth    ypsolophidae   Ypsolopha unicipunctella   Agarita Slug (larva)    zygaenidae   Harrisina coracina   Grapeleaf Skeletonizer Moth       Acoloithus novaricus   False Skeletonizer Moth    gelechiidae   Anacampsis levipedella   Moth    acrolophidae   Acrolophus mortipennella   Tubeworm Moth    xyloryctidae   Scythris fuscicomella   Moth    elachistidae   Ethmia semilugens   Ethmia Moth coleoptera   coccinellidae   Coccinella septempunctata   Seven-spotted Ladybird       Cycloneda sanguinea   Red Ladybird (adult & larva)    chrysomelidae   Longitarsus sp.   Flea Beetle       Systena hudsonias   Flea Beetle       Phaedon sp.   Leaf Beetle       Cryptocephalus notatus   Leaf Beetle       Cryptocephalus mucoreus   Leaf Beetle       Diabrotica undecimpunctata   Spotted Cucumber Beetle    languriidae   Languria sp.   Lizard Beetle    mordellidae   Mordellistena cervicalis   Tumbling Flower Beetle    scarabaeidae   Phyllophaga rubiginosa   June Beetle    oedemeridae   Heliocis repanda   False Blister Beetle    meloidae   Nemognatha sp.   Blister Beetle hemiptera   coreidae   Acanthocephala terminalis   Coreid Bug       Acanthocephala sp.   Coreid Bug (egg)    thyreocoridae   Galgupha sp.   Ebony Bug    lygaeidae   Oncopeltus fasciatus   Large Milkweed Bug    reduviidae   Apiomerus spissipes   Bee Assassin       Zelus renardii   Assassin Bug    miridae   Halticotoma valida   Yucca Plant Bug (adult & nymph)       Poecilocapsus lineatus   Four-lined Plant Bug (adult & nymph)       Lopidea major   Plant Bug       Taedia sp.   Plant Bug (adult & nymph)       Prepops sp.   Plant Bug       Taylorilygus apicalis   Plant Bug       Ilnacora sp.   Plant Bug       Polymerus basalis   Plant Bug       Metriorrhynchomiris dislocatus   Plant Bug    pentatomidae   Euschistus servus   Brown Stink Bug       Euschistus quadrator   Stink Bug homoptera   cicadellidae   Cuerna costalis   Leafhopper       Homalodisca insolita   Sharpshooter    membracidae   Cyrtolobus sp.   Treehopper    cercopidae   Unknown sp.   Spittlebug (nymph)    coccidae   Parthenolecanium sp.   Scale    aphididae   Aphis nerii   Oleander Aphid hymenoptera   apidae   Apis mellifera   Honey Bee    colletidae   Hylaeus sp.   Yellow-faced Bee    vespidae   Polistes exclamans   Paper Wasp    formicidae   Neivamyrmex sp.   Legionary Ant (male) diptera   dolichopodidae   Unknown sp.   Long-legged fly    empididae   Unknown sp.   Dance Fly    platystomatidae   Rivellia sp.   Platystomatid Fly    sepsidae   Sepsis sp.   Black Scavenger Fly    stratiomyidae   Nemotelus sp.   Soldier Fly    rhagionidae   Chrysopilus sp.   Snipe Fly    therevidae   Ozodiceromyia sp.   Stiletto Fly    bombyliidae   Geron sp.   Bee Fly       Neacreotrichus sp.   Bee Fly    tachinidae   Unknown sp.   Tachinid Fly odonata   coenagrionidae   Ischnura ramburii   Rambur's Forktail    libellulidae   Libellula croceipennis   Neon Skimmer orthoptera   acrididae   Melanoplus sp.   Spur-throated Grasshopper (nymph)       Mermiria sp.   Slant-faced Grasshopper (nymph)    tettigoniidae   Arethaea ambulator   Walking Thread-legged Katydid (nymph)       Scudderia furcata   Fork-tailed Bush Katydid (nymph)       Dichopetala catinata   Spoon-tailed Short-winged Katydid (nymph)       Conocephalus sp.   Meadow Katydid (nymph) neuroptera   chrysopidae   Unknown sp.   Green Lacewing araneae   salticidae   Phidippus audax   Bold Jumper       Eris militaris   Bronze Jumper    araneidae   Neoscona arabesca   Arabesque Orbweaver    oxyopidae   Oxyopes salticus   Striped Lynx    tetragnathidae   Tetragnatha laboriosa   Silver Longjawed Orbweaver