The drought continues as our survey party of three braved the sun and heat. The odd little "marble" shown below is a scale insect in the family Kermesidae. It has a hard shell and remains in the same place as it grows on its host, Live Oak, so it resembles a gall, hence its common name of Gall-like Scale. Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings: Baeolophus atricristatus (black-crested titmouse) photo by Harriett Wolf Xysticus sp. (crab spider) photo by Val Bugh Peucetia viridans (green lynx eating honey bee) photo by Val Bugh Curculio sp. (nut weevil) photo by Val Bugh Oulema variabilis (leaf beetles) photo by Val Bugh Pachybrachis turbidus (leaf beetle) photo by Val Bugh Zelus renardii (assassin bug, nymph) photo by Val Bugh Teleonemia sp. (lace bug) photo by Val Bugh Entylia concisa (treehopper) photo by Val Bugh Unknown sp. (gall-like scale insect) photo by Val Bugh Trupanea sp. (fruit fly) photo by Val Bugh Toxomerus politus (flower fly) photo by Val Bugh Sphex pensylvanica (great black wasp) photo by Val Bugh Sphex dorsalis (digger wasp) photo by Val Bugh Agraulis vanillae (gulf fritillary) photo by Val Bugh Callophrys gryneus (juniper hairstreak) photo by Val Bugh Hemiargus isola (Reakirt's blue) photo by Val Bugh Asterocampa celtis (hackberry emperor) photo by Val Bugh Pyrausta inornatalis (inornate pyrausta moth) photo by Val Bugh Aetole bella (moths) photo by Val Bugh Birds: Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus) Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus) Hummingbird (Archilochus sp.) Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria) Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) Western Scrub-jay (Aphelocoma californica) Mammals: Hispid Cotton Rat (Sigmodon hispidus) Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) Northern Raccoon (Procyon lotor) Insects & Spiders: order family genus/species common name lepidoptera   nymphalidae   Danaus gilippus   Queen       Agraulis vanillae   Gulf Fritillary       Asterocampa celtis   Hackberry Emperor       Vanessa atalanta   Red Admiral    pieridae   Phoebis sennae   Cloudless Sulphur    lycaenidae   Callophrys gryneus   Juniper Hairstreak       Strymon melinus   Gray Hairstreak       Hemiargus isola   Reakirt's Blue    hesperiidae   Systasea pulverulenta   Texas Powdered-skipper       Erynnis horatius   Horace's Duskywing    crambidae   Microtheoris ophionalis   Yellow-veined Moth       Pyrausta inornatalis   Inornate Pyrausta Moth    pyralidae   Elasmopalpus lignosellus   Lesser Cornstalk Borer    heliodinidae   Aetole bella   Moth    tineidae   Amydria sp.   Moth    oecophoridae   Inga cretacea   Chalky Inga    coleophoridae   Aristotelia sp.   Moth coleoptera   chrysomelidae   Asphaera lustrans   Flea Beetle       Charidotella sexpunctata   Golden Tortoise Beetle       Unknown sp.   Tortoise Beetle (larva)       Pachybrachis turbidus   Leaf Beetle       Pachybrachis vestigialis   Leaf Beetle       Oulema variabilis   Leaf Beetle    bruchidae   Mimosestes amicus   Seed Beetle    tenebrionidae   Eleodes goryi   Darkling Beetle    curculionidae   Curculio sp.   Nut Weevil hemiptera   reduviidae   Zelus renardii   Assassin Bug (nymph)    berytidae   Jalysus sp.   Stilt Bug    miridae   Halticotoma valida   Yucca Plant Bug    tingidae   Teleonemia sp.   Lace Bug homoptera   cicadellidae   Cuerna costalis   Leafhopper       Neokolla uhleri   Leafhopper (adult & nymph)    kermesidae   Unknown sp.   Gall-like Scale    aphididae   Unknown sp.   Aphid    dactylopiidae   Dactylopius sp.   Cochineal Insect    membracidae   Entylia concisa   Treehopper    cixiidae   Oecleus sp.   Planthopper hymenoptera   apidae   Apis mellifera   Honey Bee       Bombus pensylvanicus   American Bumble Bee       Xylocopa micans   Southern Carpenter Bee       Xylocopa tabaniformis   Large Carpenter Bee       Xylocopa virginica   Eastern Carpenter Bee       Unknown sp.   Digger Bee    halictidae   Unknown sp.   Green Sweat Bee    megachilidae   Megachile sp.   Leaf-cutter Bee    vespidae   Polistes carolina   Red Wasp       Polistes exclamans   Paper Wasp    sphecidae   Sphex pensylvanica   Great Black Wasp       Sphex dorsalis   Digger Wasp       Sphex ichneumoneus   Great Golden Digger Wasp    crabronidae   Bicyrtes sp.   Sand Wasp    pompilidae   Pepsis sp.   Spider Wasp    scoliidae   Scolia dubia   Scoliid Wasp    formicidae   Solenopsis sp.   Fire Ant       Crematogaster sp.   Acrobat Ant diptera   dolichopodidae   Unknown sp.   Long-legged Fly    syrphidae   Palpada vinetorum   Flower Fly       Copestylum marginatum   Flower Fly       Toxomerus marginatus   Flower Fly       Toxomerus politus   Flower Fly    tephritidae   Trupanea sp.   Fruit Fly    chloropidae   Unknown sp.   Frit Fly odonata   coenagrionidae   Ischnura ramburii   Rambur's Forktail       Argia immunda   Kiowa Dancer    libellulidae   Erythemis simplicicollis   Eastern Pondhawk orthoptera   acrididae   Lactista aztecus   Aztec Bandwing neuroptera   berothidae   Lomamyia sp.   Beaded Lacewing araneae   oxyopidae   Peucetia viridans   Green Lynx    salticidae   Phidippus audax   Bold Jumper       Phidippus arizonensis   Arizona Jumper       Pelegrina galathea   Peppered Jumper    dictynidae   Dictyna sp.   Meshweb Weaver    thomisidae   Xysticus sp.   Crab Spider