It was a typical hot and sunny July morning as four volunteers conducted this week's survey. While we were admiring the Bee Assassin shown below, a Bumble Bee landed in the flower on which it was hunting. The bug, in spite of being confronted with prey that was too large, immediately raised its front legs in an automatic hunting response. The bee finished with the flower in about 5 seconds and flew away, leaving the bug to wait for a meal more its size. Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings: Hesperotettix speciosus (showy grasshopper) photo by Val Bugh Conocephalus strictus (straight-lanced meadow katydid, male) photo by Val Bugh Apiomerus spissipes (bee assassin) and Bombus pensylvanicus (American bumble bee) photo by Val Bugh Prionyx sp. (thread-waisted wasp) photo by Val Bugh Belostoma sp. (giant water bug, also called toe biter) photo by Val Bugh Tibicen texanus (cicada) photo by Val Bugh Homalodisca sp. (sharpshooter, nymph) photo by Val Bugh Diplostethus texanus (click beetle) photo by Val Bugh Cryptocephalus leucomelas (leaf beetle) photo by Val Bugh Haplochrois bipunctella (moth, about 3 mm long) photo by Val Bugh Lerodea eufala (eufala skipper) photo by Val Bugh Hemiargus ceraunus (ceraunus blue) photo by Val Bugh Strymon melinus (gray hairstreak) photo by Val Bugh Callophrys gryneus (juniper hairstreak) photo by Val Bugh Dolichoplana striata (land planarian) photo by Val Bugh Rumina decollata (decollate snail) photo by Val Bugh Angustipes ameghini (black-velvet leatherleaf slug) photo by Val Bugh Cyclosa turbinata (trashline orbweaver, with trash) photo by Val Bugh Pirata sp. (wolf spider) photo by Val Bugh Latrodectus mactans (southern black widow, male) photo by Val Bugh Birds: Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii) Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) Hummingbird (Archilochus sp.) Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris) Purple Martin (Progne subis) White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus) White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica) Mammals: Hispid Cotton Rat (Sigmodon hispidus) Reptiles: Texas Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus olivaceus) Redstripe Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis proximus rubrilineatus) Fish: Rio Grande Cichlid (Cichlasoma cyanoguttatum) Misc.: Black-velvet Leatherleaf Slug (Angustipes ameghini) Decollate Snail (Rumina decollata) Land Planarian (Dolichoplana striata) Earthworm (Unknown sp.) Insects & Spiders: order family genus/species common name lepidoptera   nymphalidae   Agraulis vanillae   Gulf Fritillary       Junonia coenia   Common Buckeye       Chlosyne lacinia   Bordered Patch       Phyciodes tharos   Pearl Crescent       Asterocampa celtis   Hackberry Emperor       Danaus gilippus   Queen    papilionidae   Papilio polyxenes   Black Swallowtail (larva)       Papilio multicaudata   Two-tailed Swallowtail (larva)    pieridae   Eurema lisa   Little Yellow       Eurema nicippe   Sleepy Orange       Nathalis iole   Dainty Sulphur       Phoebis sennae   Cloudless Sulphur    lycaenidae   Hemiargus isola   Reakirt's Blue       Hemiargus ceraunus   Ceraunus Blue       Strymon melinus   Gray Hairstreak       Callophrys gryneus   Juniper Hairstreak    hesperiidae   Pyrgus communis/albescens   Common/White Checkered-skipper       Erynnis horatius   Horace's Duskywing       Hylephila phyleus   Fiery Skipper       Lerodea eufala   Eufala Skipper       Lerema accius   Clouded Skipper    noctuidae   Ponometia candefacta   Olive-shaded Bird Dropping Moth       Tarache tetragona   Four-spotted Bird Dropping Moth       Tarache aprica   Exposed Bird Dropping Moth       Tripudia quadrifera   Moth       Anicla infecta   Green Cutworm Moth       Hypena scabra   Green Cloverworm Moth       Phyprosopus callitrichoides   Curve-lined Owlet       Heliothis virescens   Tobacco Budworm (larva)    notodontidae   Schizura errucata   Prominent       Schizura unicornis   Unicorn Caterpillar Moth    saturniidae   Antheraea polyphemus   Polyphemus Moth (larva)    geometridae   Glena quinquelinearia   Five-lined Glena    crambidae   Lineodes interrupta   Moth       Pyrausta laticlavia   Southern Purple Mint Moth       Uresiphita reversalis   Genista Caterpillar (larva)       Euchromius ocelleus   Grass-veneer Moth       Parapediasia sp.   Grass-veneer Moth       Fissicrambus profanellus   Grass-veneer Moth       Diastictis fracturalis   Moth    pyralidae   Ephestiodes sp.   Moth       Phycitodes mucidella   Moth       Alpheioides parvulalis   Moth       Peoria opacella   Grass-veneer Moth       Peoria tetradella   Grass-veneer Moth    ypsolophidae   Ypsolopha unicipunctella   Agarita Slug Moth    oecophoridae   Psilocorsis quercicella   Moth    elachistidae   Haplochrois bipunctella   Moth    coleophoridae   Mompha murtfeldtella   Moth    cosmopterigidae   Perimede sp.   Moth coleoptera   chrysomelidae   Cryptocephalus leucomelas   Leaf Beetle    coccinellidae   Hippodamia convergens   Convergent Ladybird    carabidae   Pasimachus sp.   Ground Beetle    scarabaeidae   Phyllophaga sp.   June Beetle    elateridae   Diplostethus texanus   Click Beetle       Agrypnus rectangularis   Click Beetle hemiptera   coreidae   Acanthocephala terminalis   Coreid Bug (adult & nymph)       Narnia femorata (adult & nymph)   Cactus Bug       Chelinidea tabulata   Opuntia Bug (adult & nymph)       Chelinidea vittiger   Opuntia Bug (adult & nymph)       Anasa tristis   Squash Bug       Mozena lunata   Mesquite Bug    reduviidae   Zelus renardii   Assassin Bug (adult & nymph)       Zelus tetracanthus   Assassin Bug       Apiomerus spissipes   Bee Assassin    rhopalidae   Harmostes sp.   Scentless Plant Bug    lygaeidae   Lygaeus kalmii   Small Milkweed Bug    rhyparochromidae   Cnemodus mavortius   Seed Bug    belostomatidae   Belostoma sp.   Giant Water Bug    alydidae   Hyalymenus tarsatus   Texas Bow-legged Bug (nymph)       Alydus pilosulus   Broad-headed Bug    berytidae   Jalysus sp.   Stilt Bug    cydnidae   Pangaeus sp.   Burrowing Bug    pentatomidae   Thyanta custator   Stink Bug       Holcostethus abbreviatus   Stink Bug homoptera   cicadellidae   Homalodisca vitripennis   Glassy-winged Sharpshooter       Homalodisca sp.   Sharpshooter (nymph)       Neokolla dolobrata   Leafhopper       Neokolla uhleri   Leafhopper       Cuerna costalis   Leafhopper       Texananus excultus   Leafhopper    cicadidae   Tibicen texanus   Cicada hymenoptera   apidae   Apis mellifera   Honey Bee       Bombus pensylvanicus   American Bumble Bee       Centris atripes   Digger Bee    halictidae   Unknown sp.   Green Sweat Bee       Halictus sp.   Sweat Bee    megachilidae   Heriades sp.   Leaf-cutter Bee    vespidae   Polistes carolina   Red Wasp       Polistes exclamans   Paper Wasp       Polistes sp.   Apache Wasp       Euodynerus sp.   Mason Wasp       Eumenes smithii   Potter Wasp    sphecidae   Sceliphron caementarium   Yellow-and-black Mud Dauber       Sphex lucae   Digger Wasp       Prionyx sp.   Thread-waisted Wasp    crabronidae   Bicyrtes sp.   Sand Wasp    formicidae   Solenopsis invicta   Imported Fire Ant       Forelius mccooki   Ant diptera   culicidae   Aedes albopictus   Asian Tiger Mosquito    syrphidae   Copestylum mexicana   Black Flower Fly       Copestylum avidum   Flower Fly    sarcophagidae   Unknown sp.   Flesh Fly    bombyliidae   Geron sp.   Bee Fly    dolichopodidae   Unknown sp.   Long-legged Fly odonata   coenagrionidae   Ischnura ramburii   Rambur's Forktail       Argia immunda   Kiowa Dancer       Telebasis salva   Desert Firetail    libellulidae   Libellula croceipennis   Neon Skimmer       Libellula luctuosa   Widow Skimmer       Pachydiplax longipennis   Blue Dasher       Orthemis ferruginea   Roseate Skimmer orthoptera   acrididae   Melanoplus plebejus   Plebeian Grasshopper       Hesperotettix speciosus   Showy Grasshopper       Mermiria picta   Lively Mermiria       Lactista aztecus   Aztec Bandwing       Chortophaga viridifasciata   Northern Green-striped Grasshopper       Schistocerca sp.   Bird Grasshopper (nymph)       Schistocerca lineata   Spotted Bird Grasshopper       Schistocerca obscura   Obscure Bird Grasshopper       Schistocerca nitens   Gray Bird Grasshopper    tettigoniidae   Conocephalus strictus   Straight-lanced Meadow Katydid       Scudderia furcata   Fork-tailed Bush Katydid (nymph) neuroptera   ascalaphidae   Ululodes macleayanus   Owlfly araneae   salticidae   Habronattus cognatus   Jumping Spider       Anasaitis canosa   Jumping Spider       Phidippus audax   Bold Jumper    theridiidae   Latrodectus mactans   Southern Black Widow    lycosidae   Pirata sp.   Wolf Spider    araneidae   Cyclosa turbinata   Trashline Orbweaver    oecobiidae   Oecobius sp.   Wall Spider    thomisidae   Mecaphesa sp.   Crab Spider