Our party of three was fortunate to have mostly cloudy skies on an otherwise muggy morning. One of the more interesting behaviors we witnessed this time was a green sweat bee using buzz pollination (or sonication) on nightshade flowers. A number of plant species, including many in the genus Solanum, have pollen contained within tubes and the most efficient way for it to be dislodged is by a bee vibrating its muscles to loosen the grains so that they fall out of the tube opening. In the photo below, the bee is holding its back leg directly below the anther opening to catch the pollen as it falls out. Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings: Augochloropsis metallica (green sweat bee buzz pollinating nightshade) photo by Val Bugh Osmia subfasciata (mason bee) photo by Val Bugh Tachytes sp. (digger wasp) photo by Val Bugh Oecobius sp. (wall spider securing beetle with silk) photo by Val Bugh Oecanthus sp. (tree cricket, male) photo by Val Bugh Euborellia annulipes (ring-legged earwig) photo by Val Bugh Nabis capsiformis (damsel bug) photo by Val Bugh Oncopeltus fasciatus (large milkweed bug nymph molting) photo by Val Bugh Lygaeus kalmii (small milkweed bug) photo by Val Bugh Acinopterus angulatus (leafhopper) photo by Val Bugh Disonycha fumata (flea beetle) photo by Val Bugh Mallodon dasystomus (hardwood stump borer) photo by Val Bugh Stenonema femoratum (flat-headed mayfly) photo by Val Bugh Polyhymno luteostrigella (moth) photo by Val Bugh Catocala amica (girlfriend underwing) photo by Val Bugh Schinia citrinellus (flower moth) photo by Val Bugh Atlides halesus (great purple hairstreak) photo by Val Bugh Pyrgus communis/albescens (common/white checkered-skipper larva) photo by Val Bugh Heliothis virescens (tobacco budworm) photo by Val Bugh Asterocampa clyton (tawny emperor, larva face) photo by Val Bugh Birds: Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii) Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus) Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) Hummingbird (Archilochus sp.) Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria) Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris) White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica) Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus) Reptiles: Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis) Texas Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus olivaceus) Misc.: Harvestman (Unknown sp.) Insects & Spiders: order family genus/species common name lepidoptera   nymphalidae   Agraulis vanillae   Gulf Fritillary (adult, pupa & larva)       Euptoieta claudia   Variegated Fritillary (adult & larva)       Polygonia interrogationis   Question Mark (adult & larva)       Junonia coenia   Common Buckeye       Asterocampa clyton   Tawny Emperor (adult & larva)       Danaus gilippus   Queen    pieridae   Eurema nicippe   Sleepy Orange       Pontia protodice   Checkered White       Nathalis iole   Dainty Sulphur       Phoebis sennae   Cloudless Sulphur (adult & larva)    lycaenidae   Hemiargus isola   Reakirt's Blue       Atlides halesus   Great Purple Hairstreak       Strymon melinus   Gray Hairstreak    hesperiidae   Erynnis funeralis   Funereal Duskywing       Pyrgus communis/albescens   Common/White Checkered-skipper (adult, larva & egg)    noctuidae   Catocala amica   Girlfriend Underwing       Ponometia candefacta   Olive-shaded Bird Dropping Moth       Schinia citrinellus   Flower Moth       Plusiodonta compressipalpis   Moonseed Moth       Cucullia sp.   Moth (adult & larva)       Bulia deducta   Moth       Spodoptera ornithogalli   Yellow-striped Armyworm (larva)    arctiidae   Estigmene acrea   Saltmarsh Caterpillar (larva)    geometridae   Lobocleta ossularia   Drab Brown Wave       Lobocleta peralbata   White Wave       Nemoria zygotaria   Emerald       Eupithecia miserulata   Common Pug       Anavitrinella atristrigaria   Gulf Coast Gray       Cyclophora nanaria   Dwarf Tawny Wave    crambidae   Glaphyria peremptalis   Moth       Aethiophysa lentiflualis   Moth       Fissicrambus profanellus   Grass-veneer Moth       Euchromius ocelleus   Grass-veneer Moth       Lineodes interrupta   Moth       Diastictis fracturalis   Moth    pyralidae   Homoeosoma electella   Sunflower Moth       Ephestiodes sp.   Moth       Omphalocera cariosa   Barberry Webworm (larva)    tortricidae   Epiblema abruptana   Moth    coleophoridae   Blastobasis sp.   Moth       Calosima sp.   Moth    gelechiidae   Aristotelia sp.   Moth       Polyhymno luteostrigella   Moth    lacturidae   Lactura sp.   Moth    oecophoridae   Inga cretacea   Chalky Inga    tineidae   Amydria sp.   Moth    acrolophidae   Acrolophus griseus   Tubeworm Moth       Acrolophus texanella   Tubeworm Moth coleoptera   chrysomelidae   Disonycha fumata   Flea Beetle       Lema trabeata   Leaf Beetle (adult & larva)    coccinellidae   Coccinella septempunctata   Seven-spotted Ladybird    buprestidae   Acmaeodera ornatoides   Metallic Woodborer       Acmaeodera mixta   Metallic Woodborer    cerambycidae   Moneilema armatum   Cactus Longhorn       Mallodon dasystomus   Hardwood Stump Borer    tenebrionidae   Eleodes goryi   Darkling Beetle       Blapstinus sp.   Darkling Beetle    hydrophilidae   Tropisternus lateralis   Water Scavenger Beetle    curculionidae   Sitona californius   Broad-nosed Weevil hemiptera   miridae   Polymeris basalis   Plant Bug    coreidae   Leptoglossus phyllopus   Leaf-footed Bug       Narnia femorata (adult & nymph)   Cactus Bug       Chelinidea vittiger   Opuntia Bug (adult & nymph)       Chelinidea tabulata   Opuntia Bug (nymph)    lygaeidae   Lygaeus kalmii   Small Milkweed Bug       Oncopeltus fasciatus   Large Milkweed Bug (adult & nymph)       Nysius sp.   False Chinch Bug    berytidae   Jalysus sp.   Stilt Bug    rhopalidae   Liorhyssus hyalinus   Hyaline Grass Bug    reduviidae   Zelus renardii   Assassin Bug (adult & nymph)    nabidae   Nabis capsiformis   Damsel Bug    cydnidae   Sehirus cinctus   Burrowing Bug    pentatomidae   Thyanta custator   Stink Bug       Mecidea major   Grass Stink Bug       Banasa euchlora   Stink Bug homoptera   cicadellidae   Acinopterus angulatus   Leafhopper    cicadidae   Tibicen superbus   Superb Cicada       Tibicen texanus   Cicada       Unknown sp.   Cicada (exuviae) hymenoptera   apidae   Apis mellifera   Honey Bee       Centris atripes   Digger Bee       Melissodes sp.   Digger Bee    halictidae   Augochloropsis metallica   Green Sweat Bee    megachilidae   Dianthidium sp.   Resin Bee       Osmia subfasciata   Mason Bee    sphecidae   Prionyx sp.   Thread-waisted Wasp       Sphex lucae   Digger Wasp       Ammophila sp.   Thread-waisted Wasp    crabronidae   Tachytes sp.   Digger Wasp       Bicyrtes sp.   Sand Wasp    pompilidae   Tachypompilus unicolor   Spider Wasp    evaniidae   Evania appendigaster   Ensign Wasp    eulophidae   Euplectrus sp.   Wasp (cocoons)    ichneumonidae   Ophion sp.   Ichneumon    braconidae   Unknown sp.   Braconid wasp diptera   syrphidae   Copestylum marginatum   Flower Fly       Copestylum mexicana   Black Flower Fly       Toxomerus marginatus   Flower Fly    culicidae   Aedes albopictus   Asian Tiger Mosquito    bombyliidae   Poecilanthrax lucifer   Bee Fly    sarcophagidae   Unknown sp.   Flesh Fly    tachinidae   Archytas sp.   Tachinid Fly odonata   coenagrionidae   Enallagma civile   Familiar Bluet       Ischnura ramburii   Rambur's Forktail    libellulidae   Libellula croceipennis   Neon Skimmer       Pachydiplax longipennis   Blue Dasher       Tramea onusta   Red Saddlebags       Orthemis ferruginea   Roseate Skimmer orthoptera   acrididae   Melanoplus plebejus   Plebeian Grasshopper (nymph)       Paraidemona sp.   Spur-throated Grasshopper       Encoptolophus subgracilis   Southwestern Dusky Grasshopper       Lactista aztecus   Aztec Bandwing (adult & nymph)       Schistocerca sp.   Bird Grasshopper (nymph)    tettigoniidae   Dichopetala catinata   Spoon-tailed Short-winged Katydid       Conocephalus strictus   Straight-lanced Meadow Katydid       Pediodectes bruneri   Bruner's Shieldback    gryllidae   Oecanthus sp.   Tree Cricket phasmatodea   diapheromeridae   Megaphasma denticrus   Giant Walkingstick dermaptera   anisolabididae   Euborellia annulipes   Ring-legged Earwig neuroptera   chrysopidae   Chrysoperla sp.   Green Lacewing       Unknown sp.   Green Lacewing (larva & eggs)    myrmeleontidae   Myrmeleon sp.   Antlion trichoptera   philopotamidae   Chimarra sp.   Black Caddisfly    hydropsychidae   Hydropsyche sp.   Net-spinning Caddisfly ephemeroptera   heptageniidae   Stenonema femoratum   Flat-headed Mayfly embioptera   oligotomidae   Oligotoma sp.   Webspinner araneae   tetragnathidae   Tetragnatha laboriosa   Silver Long-jawed Orbweaver    araneidae   Cyclosa turbinata   Trashline Orbweaver    oecobiidae   Oecobius sp.   Wall Spider    thomisidae   Mecaphesa sp.   Crab Spider