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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey May 10, 2012


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

Our six volunteers had a shortened survey this week due to the rain that started midmorning. Pillbugs are always present in the gardens, but we usually do not list them unless they are doing something unusual or notable. This time we found one being carried by an ant that actually specializes in feeding on terrestrial isopods. In another case, an ant was investigating a pair of pillbugs that were in the preliminary stages of mating, where the male licks the female's head and taps his feet on her back.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Mecaphesa celer (crab spiders mating, the male is the small one)
photo by Val Bugh


Hemiargus isola (Reakirt's blue)
photo by Val Bugh


Pimaphera percata (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Hypoprepia miniata (scarlet-winged lichen moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Catocala micronympha (little nymph underwing, color variations)
photo by Val Bugh


Laetilia coccidivora (moth, whose larvae feed on cochineal insects)
photo by Val Bugh


Eustixia pupula (spotted peppergrass moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Papilio polyxenes (black swallowtail larva)
photo by Harriett Wolf


Euptoieta claudia (variegated fritillary larva ready to pupate)
photo by Val Bugh


Agraulis vanillae (gulf fritillary pupa)
photo by Val Bugh


Agrilus obtusus (metallic woodboring beetle)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (ichneumon)
photo by Val Bugh


Neacoryphus bicrucis (white-crossed seed bug)
photo by Val Bugh


Acanthocephala terminalis (coreid bug nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Triatoma sp. (kissing bug nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Tylospilus acutissimus (predatory stink bug nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Leptogenys elongata (ant with pillbug)
photo by Val Bugh


Armadillidium vulgare (pillbugs mating, with acrobat ant watching)
photo by Val Bugh


Amblycorypha huasteca (Texas false katydid nymph, just molted)
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii)
    Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)
    Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
    Flycatcher (Myiarchus sp.)
    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)

  • Misc.:
    Marsh Slug (Deroceras laeve)
    Pillbug (Armadillidium vulgare)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Agraulis vanillae  Gulf Fritillary (adult, pupa & larva)
        Euptoieta claudia  Variegated Fritillary (adult & larva)
        Polygonia interrogationis  Question Mark
        Danaus plexippus  Monarch
        Danaus gilippus  Queen
      pieridae  Eurema nicippe  Sleepy Orange
        Nathalis iole  Dainty Sulphur
      lycaenidae  Hemiargus isola  Reakirt's Blue
      papilionidae  Papilio polyxenes  Black Swallowtail (larva)
      noctuidae  Galgula partita  The Wedgling
        Melipotis indomita  Moth
        Melipotis cellaris  Moth
        Spodoptera ornithogalli  Yellow-striped Armyworm (larva)
        Catabena lineolata  Fine-lined Sallow
        Catocala micronympha  Little Nymph Underwing
        Acontia cretata  Bird Dropping Moth
        Tarache phecolisca  Bird Dropping Moth
        Caenurgina erechtea  Forage Looper Moth
        Xerociris wilsonii  Wilson's Wood-nymph
        Phytometra orgiae  Moth
        Condica videns  White-dotted Groundling
        Hypena scabra  Green Cloverworm Moth
      arctiidae  Estigmene acrea  Saltmarsh Caterpillar (larva)
        Hypoprepia miniata  Scarlet-winged Lichen Moth
      geometridae  Lobocleta ossularia  Drab Brown Wave
        Costaconvexa centrostrigaria  Bent-line Carpet
        Digrammia californiaria  Moth
        Anavitrinella atristrigaria  Gulf Coast Gray
        Rindgea parcata  Moth
        Glena quinquelinearia  Five-lined Glena
        Unknown sp.  Inchworm (larva)
        Pimaphera percata  Moth
        Eupithecia miserulata  Common Pug (larva)
        Prochoerodes lineola  Large Maple Spanworm Moth
        Cyclophora nanaria  Dwarf Tawny Wave
      saturniidae  Hyalophora cecropia  Cecropia Moth (larva)
      crambidae  Nomophila nearctica  Lucerne Moth
        Uresiphita reversalis  Genista Caterpillar Moth
        Lineodes interrupta  Moth
        Eustixia pupula  Spotted Peppergrass Moth
        Elophila obliteralis  Waterlily Leafcutter Moth
        Diastictis fracturalis  Moth
        Pyrausta laticlavia  Southern Purple Mint Moth
        Achyra rantalis  Garden Webworm Moth
      pyralidae  Parachma ochracealis  Moth
        Peoria bipartitella  Grass-veneer Moth
        Laetilia coccidivora  Moth
        Adelphia petrella  Moth
      tortricidae  Bactra verutana  Javelin Moth
        Unknown sp.  Leaf-roller Moth
        Cudonigera houstonana  Juniper Budworm Moth
        Pseudogalleria inimicella  Inimical Borer Moth
        Eumarozia malachitana  Sculptured Moth
      lacturidae  Lactura sp.  Moth
      prodoxidae  Prodoxus sp.  Bogus Yucca Moth
      heliodinidae  Aetole sp.  Moth
      gelechiidae  Isophrictis similiella  Moth
        Battaristis concinusella   Moth
      oecophoridae  Inga obscuromaculella  Moth
      elachistidae  Elachista sp.  Moth
      pterophoridae  Adaina ambrosiae  Ambrosia Plume Moth
      ypsolophidae  Ypsolopha unicipunctella  Agarita Slug Moth
      acrolophidae  Acrolophus griseus  Tubeworm Moth
        Acrolophus sp.  Tubeworm Moth
        Acrolophus mortipennella  Tubeworm Moth
        Acrolophus texanella  Tubeworm Moth

    coleoptera  chrysomelidae  Diabrotica undecimpunctata  Spotted Cucumber Beetle
        Asphaera lustrans  Flea Beetle
        Cryptocephalus notatus  Leaf Beetle
        Systena hudsonias  Flea Beetle
      coccinellidae  Coccinella septempunctata  Seven-spotted Ladybird
        Hippodamia convergens  Convergent Ladybird
      scarabaeidae  Diplotaxis sp.  Scarab
      buprestidae  Agrilus obtusus  Metallic Woodborer
      meloidae  Nemognatha sp.  Blister Beetle
      tenebrionidae  Eleodes goryi  Darkling Beetle
      carabidae  Unknown sp.  Ground Beetle
      curculionidae  Anthonomus fulvus  Weevil

    hemiptera  miridae  Phytocoris sp.  Plant Bug
        Ilnacora sp.  Plant Bug
      reduviidae  Zelus renardii  Assassin Bug
        Triatoma sp.  Kissing Bug (nymph)
      coreidae  Acanthocephala terminalis  Coreid Bug (nymph)
        Anasa tristis  Squash Bug
      lygaeidae  Neacoryphus bicrucis  White-crossed Seed Bug
      rhyparochromidae  Cnemodus mavortius  Seed Bug
      pentatomidae  Tylospilus acutissimus  Predatory Stink Bug (nymph)

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Homalodisca vitripennis  Glassy-winged Sharpshooter
        Cuerna costalis  Leafhopper
        Neokolla dolobrata  Leafhopper
        Exitianus exitiosus  Leafhopper
        Texananus sp.  Leafhopper
      issidae  Dictyonissus griphus  Planthopper (nymph)
        Thionia acuta  Planthopper
        Thionia sp.  Planthopper (nymph)
      caliscelidae  Bruchomorpha sp.  Piglet Bug

    hymenoptera  apidae  Apis mellifera  Honey Bee
        Anthophora sp.  Digger Bee
      halictidae  Augochloropsis metallica  Green Sweat Bee
      sphecidae  Chalybion sp.  Blue Mud Dauber
      dryinidae  Unknown sp.  Wasp (larva)
      ichneumonidae  Unknown sp.  Ichneumon
      eulophidae  Euplectrus sp.  Wasp (adult & pupa)
      braconidae  Unknown sp.  Braconid Wasp (pupa)
      formicidae  Leptogenys elongata  Ant
        Crematogaster sp.  Acrobat Ant

    diptera  dolichopodidae  Unknown sp.  Long-legged Fly
      syrphidae  Allograpta obliqua  Flower Fly
        Toxomerus marginatus  Flower Fly
      stratiomyidae  Hermetia chrysopila  Soldier Fly
      asilidae  Atomosia puella  Robber Fly
      tachinidae  Archytas sp.  Tachinid Fly

    odonata  coenagrionidae  Argia immunda  Kiowa Dancer
        Argia fumipennis  Variable Dancer
        Ischnura posita  Fragile Forktail
        Ischnura ramburii  Rambur's Forktail
        Telebasis salva  Desert Firetail
      aeshnidae  Anax junius  Common Green Darner (exuviae)

    orthoptera  acrididae  Melanoplus ponderosus  Ponderous Grasshopper (nymph)
        Melanoplus femurrubrum  Red-legged Grasshopper
        Paraidemona sp.  Spur-throated Grasshopper
      gryllidae  Oecanthus sp.  Tree Cricket
      tettigoniidae  Dichopetala catinata  Spoon-tailed Short-winged Katydid
        Arethaea ambulator  Walking Thread-legged Katydid
        Amblycorypha huasteca  Texas False Katydid (nymph)

    neuroptera  chrysopidae  Unknown sp.  Green Lacewing (larva)

    trichoptera  philopotamidae  Chimarra sp.  Black Caddisfly

    araneae  tetragnathidae  Tetragnatha laboriosa  Silver Long-jawed Orbweaver
      salticidae  Pelegrina galathea  Peppered Jumper
      dictynidae  Unknown sp.  Meshweb Weaver
      thomisidae  Mecaphesa celer  Crab Spider
        Xysticus sp.  Crab Spider

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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey May 10, 2012