A two-person team conducted this Saturday survey, during very hot and sunny conditions. One of the most unusual creatures we saw is barely visible in the photo of the Red Wasp shown below. There is a lump on the top near the rear end of the abdomen. This is caused by a Twisted-wing Parasite, an odd little insect that lives in the body of its host without killing it. If the Parasite is a male, it will eventually emerge as a winged adult. A female will remain in the wasp's body her whole life. Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings: Xylocopa tabaniformis (large carpenter bee, stealing nectar) photo by Val Bugh Polistes carolina (red wasp, hosting twisted-wing parasite) photo by Val Bugh Brachynemurus sp. (antlion) photo by Val Bugh Euptilon sp. (antlion) photo by Val Bugh Chinavia hilare (green stink bug) photo by Val Bugh Euschistus quadrator (stink bug) photo by Val Bugh Niesthrea louisianica (scentless plant bug, eggs & nymph) photo by Val Bugh Unknown sp. (midge) photo by Val Bugh Neaspilota sp. (fruit fly) photo by Val Bugh Palpada vinetorum (flower fly) photo by Val Bugh Brachycoryna pumila (leaf beetles) photo by Val Bugh Schizura errucata (prominent) photo by Val Bugh Lobocleta peralbata (white wave) photo by Val Bugh Inga cretacea (chalky inga) photo by Val Bugh Aristotelia roseosuffusella (moth) photo by Val Bugh Microtheoris vibicalis (moth) photo by Val Bugh Papilio glaucus (eastern tiger swallowtail, black phase female) photo by Val Bugh Birds: Blue-gray gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) Mammals: Hispid Cotton Rat (Sigmodon hispidus) Reptiles: Redstripe Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis proximus rubrilineatus) Texas Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus olivaceus) Misc.: Striped Bark Scorpion (Centruroides vittatus) Mites (Leptus sp.) Insects & Spiders: order family genus/species common name lepidoptera   nymphalidae   Danaus gilippus   Queen       Agraulis vanillae   Gulf Fritillary       Asterocampa celtis   Hackberry Emperor    pieridae   Phoebis sennae   Cloudless Sulphur    lycaenidae   Callophrys gryneus   Juniper Hairstreak    papilionidae   Papilio glaucus   Eastern Tiger Swallowtail    hesperiidae   Hylephila phyleus   Fiery Skipper    geometridae   Lobocleta ossularia   Drab Brown Wave       Lobocleta peralbata   White Wave    notodontidae   Schizura errucata   Prominent    crambidae   Microtheoris vibicalis   Moth       Lipocosmodes new species   Moth    pyralidae   Alpheioides parvulalis   Moth       Ephestiodes sp.   Moth    coleophoridae   Blastobasis sp.   Moth    oecophoridae   Inga cretacea   Chalky Inga    coleophoridae   Aristotelia roseosuffusella   Moth coleoptera   chrysomelidae   Asphaera lustrans   Flea Beetle       Brachycoryna pumila   Leaf Beetle    cerambycidae   Oeme rigida   Long-horned Beetle hemiptera   coreidae   Acanthocephala terminalis   Coreid Bug (adult & egg)       Hypselonotus punctiventris   Coreid Bug    rhopalidae   Niesthrea louisianica   Scentless Plant Bug (eggs, nymph & adult)    lygaeidae   Oncopeltus fasciatus   Large Milkweed Bug    pentatomidae   Chinavia hilare   Green Stink Bug       Euschistus quadrator   Stink Bug homoptera   cicadellidae   Hymetta sp.   Leafhopper       Homalodisca vitripennis   Glassy-winged Sharpshooter    kermesidae   Unknown sp.   Gall-like Scale hymenoptera   apidae   Apis mellifera   Honey Bee       Bombus pensylvanicus   American Bumble Bee       Xylocopa micans   Southern Carpenter Bee       Xylocopa tabaniformis   Large Carpenter Bee    halictidae   Unknown sp.   Green Sweat Bee    megachilidae   Megachile sp.   Leaf-cutter Bee       Dianthidium sp.   Leaf-cutter Bee    vespidae   Polistes carolina   Red Wasp       Polistes exclamans   Paper Wasp    sphecidae   Sceliphron caementarium   Yellow-and-black Mud Dauber       Chalybion sp.   Blue Mud Dauber       Sphex ichneumoneus   Great Golden Digger Wasp diptera   dolichopodidae   Unknown sp.   Long-legged Fly    bombyliidae   Geron sp.   Bee Fly       Poecilanthrax lucifer   Bee Fly    asilidae   Efferia sp.   Robber Fly    syrphidae   Palpada vinetorum   Flower Fly    tephritidae   Neaspilota sp.   Fruit Fly    lauxaniidae   Neodeceia sp.   Lauxaniid Fly    culicidae   Aedes albopictus   Asian Tiger Mosquito    chironomidae   Unknown sp.   Midge odonata   coenagrionidae   Ischnura ramburii   Rambur's Forktail    libellulidae   Erythemis simplicicollis   Eastern Pondhawk       Libellula croceipennis   Neon Skimmer       Pachydiplax longipennis   Blue Dasher    aeshnidae   Anax junius   Common Green Darner orthoptera   acrididae   Lactista aztecus   Aztec Bandwing       Melanoplus sp.   Spur-throated Grasshopper (nymph)       Schistocerca obscura   Obscure Bird Grasshopper    tettigoniidae   Scudderia furcata   Fork-tailed Bush Katydid (nymph) mantodea   mantidae   Stagmomantis carolina   Carolina Mantis neuroptera   myrmeleontidae   Brachynemurus sp.   Antlion       Euptilon sp.   Antlion strepsiptera   stylopidae   Unknown sp.   Twisted-wing Parasite araneae   oxyopidae   Peucetia viridans   Green Lynx