The weather for our first survey of 2013 couldn't have been better: chilly and misty turning mild and sunny. Three volunteers participated. The huge beetle family Chrysomelidae contains the leaf beetles, which are generally small and often brightly colored. One subfamily is characterized by especially thick "thighs" that help the insects jump away from danger, hence the common name "flea beetles." This distinguishing characteristic is especially visible in the underside view shown below. Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings: Osmia ribifloris (mason bee) photo by Val Bugh Unknown sp. (braconid wasp) photo by Val Bugh Coenosia sp. (tiger fly) photo by Val Bugh Nathalis iole (dainty sulphur) photo by Val Bugh Strymon melinus (gray hairstreak) photo by Val Bugh Plusiodonta compressipalpis (moonseed moth) photo by Val Bugh Ponometia candefacta (olive-shaded bird dropping moth) photo by Val Bugh Phytometra orgiae (moth) photo by Val Bugh Aristotelia sp. (moth) photo by Val Bugh Paleacrita vernata (spring cankerworm moth, male) photo by Val Bugh Caripeta triangulata (moth) photo by Val Bugh Synchlora frondaria (southern emerald) photo by Val Bugh Phaeoura quernaria (oak beauty) photo by Val Bugh Ypsolopha unicipunctella (agarita slug moth) photo by Val Bugh Sitona californius (broad-nosed weevils) photo by Val Bugh Asphaera lustrans (flea beetle) photo by Val Bugh Arethaea ambulator (walking thread-legged katydid, nymph) photo by Val Bugh Lestes alacer (plateau spreadwing) photo by Val Bugh Unknown sp. (wolf spider) photo by Val Bugh Birds: Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii) Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus) Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) Common Raven (Corvus corax) Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) Lesser Goldfinch (Carduelis psaltria) Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) Western Scrub-jay (Aphelocoma californica) White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica) Misc.: Land Snail (Rabdotus sp.) Garden Snail (Otala lactea) Millipede (Unknown sp.) Insects & Spiders: order family genus/species common name lepidoptera   nymphalidae   Agraulis vanillae   Gulf Fritillary       Thessalia theona   Theona Checkerspot (larva)       Libytheana carinenta   American Snout       Danaus gilippus   Queen    pieridae   Phoebis sennae   Cloudless Sulphur       Eurema lisa   Little Yellow       Colias eurytheme   Orange Sulphur       Nathalis iole   Dainty Sulphur    lycaenidae   Hemiargus ceraunus   Ceraunus Blue       Hemiargus isola   Reakirt's Blue (adult & larva)       Strymon melinus   Gray Hairstreak    hesperiidae   Pyrgus communis/albescens   Common/White Checkered-skipper    noctuidae   Aon noctuiformis   Moth       Megalographa biloba   Bilobed Looper Moth       Peridroma saucia   Variegated Cutworm (larva)       Ponometia candefacta   Olive-shaded Bird Dropping Moth       Phytometra orgiae   Moth       Spodoptera ornithogalli   Yellow-striped Armyworm Moth       Psychomorpha epimenis   Grapevine Epimenis       Tripudia quadrifera   Moth       Lacinipolia erecta   Moth       Plusiodonta compressipalpis   Moonseed Moth    arctiidae   Estigmene acrea   Saltmarsh Moth    geometridae   Iridopsis defectaria   Brown-shaded Gray Moth       Synchlora frondaria   Southern Emerald       Nemoria zygotaria   Emerald       Digrammia californiaria   Moth       Digrammia atrofasciata   Moth       Glena quinquelinearia   Five-lined Glena       Pero meskaria   Moth       Phaeoura quernaria   Oak Beauty       Paleacrita vernata   Spring Cankerworm Moth       Macaria sp.   Angle       Lobocleta ossularia   Drab Brown Wave       Pimaphera percata   Moth       Caripeta triangulata   Moth       Eupithecia miserulata   Common Pug       Phigalia titea   The Halfwing       Holochroa dissociarius   Moth    crambidae   Lineodes interrupta   Moth       Uresiphita reversalis   Genista Moth    pyralidae   Ephestiodes sp.   Moth       Laetilia coccidivora   Moth       Amyelois transitella   Moth       Adelphia petrella   Moth    lacturidae   Lactura sp.   Moth    elachistidae   Ethmia hagenella   Ethmia Moth       Ethmia semilugens   Ethmia Moth    copromorphidae   Ellabella melanoclista   Tropical Fruitworm Moth    ypsolophidae   Ypsolopha unicipunctella   Agarita Slug Moth    coleophoridae   Blastobasis sp.   Moth    gelechiidae   Aristotelia sp.   Moth    tortricidae   Platynota rostrana   Omnivorous Platynota Moth       Unknown sp.   Leaf-roller Moth coleoptera   coccinellidae   Coccinella septempunctata   Seven-spotted Ladybird       Hippodamia convergens   Convergent Ladybird    chrysomelidae   Diabrotica undecimpunctata   Spotted Cucumber Beetle       Asphaera lustrans   Flea Beetle       Phaedon desotonis   Leaf Beetle    curculionidae   Hypera postica   Weevil       Sitona californius   Broad-nosed Weevil hemiptera   miridae   Taylorilygus apicalis   Plant Bug    scutelleridae   Sphyrocoris obliquus   Shield Bug homoptera   cicadellidae   Graphocephala versuta   Leafhopper       Unknown sp.   Leafhopper    membracidae   Spissistilus sp.   Treehopper    dactylopiidae   Dactylopius sp.   Cochineal Insect hymenoptera   apidae   Apis mellifera   Honey Bee    megachilidae   Osmia ribifloris   Mason Bee    vespidae   Polistes exclamans   Paper Wasp    braconidae   Unknown sp.   Braconid Wasp diptera   syrphidae   Copestylum avidum   Flower Fly    muscidae   Coenosia sp.   Tiger Fly    tipulidae   Tipula sp.   Crane Fly odonata   lestidae   Lestes alacer   Plateau Spreadwing orthoptera   acrididae   Lactista aztecus   Aztec Bandwing (adult & nymph)       Chortophaga viridifasciata   Northern Green-striped Grasshopper (nymph)       Trimerotropis pallidipennis   Pallid-winged Grasshopper       Eritettix abortivus   Texas Short-winged Slant-faced Grasshopper (adult & nymph)    tettigoniidae   Arethaea ambulator   Walking Thread-legged Katydid (nymph)    tetrigidae   Paratettix mexicanus   Pygmy Grasshopper trichoptera   hydropsychidae   Hydropsyche sp.   Netspinning Caddisfly araneae   thomisidae   Mecaphesa sp.   Crab Spider    tetragnathidae   Tetragnatha laboriosa   Silver Longjawed Orbweaver    lycosidae   Unknown sp.   Wolf Spider    salticidae   Eris militaris   Bronze Jumper