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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey March 21, 2013


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

Two participants completed this week's survey on a cool, breezy, mostly cloudy morning. The many kinds of white grubs that live in soil and compost piles are the larvae of scarab beetles. They are usually only seen when a gardener accidentally digs them up and then they curl into the familiar C-shape. But the larva of the Green June Beetle (shown below) has an additional behavior: it flips over on its back and, much like a caterpillar, crawls away.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Anolis carolinensis (green anole)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (wolf spider)
photo by Val Bugh


Latrodectus sp. (black widow)
photo by Val Bugh


Scudderia furcata (fork-tailed bush katydid, nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Lopidea major (plant bug)
photo by Val Bugh


Sitona californius (broad-nosed weevil)
photo by Val Bugh


Cotinis nitida (green June beetle larva crawling on its back)
photo by Val Bugh


Copestylum marginatum (flower fly)
photo by Val Bugh


Cylindromyia sp. (tachinid fly)
photo by Val Bugh


Vespula maculifrons (eastern yellowjacket queen)
photo by Val Bugh


Estigmene acrea (saltmarsh caterpillar, very young)
photo by Val Bugh


Digrammia colorata (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Pelochrista scintillana (leafroller moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Agrotis ipsilon (ipsilon dart)
photo by Val Bugh


Grammia arge (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Alypia octomaculata (eight-spotted forester)
photo by Val Bugh


Xerociris wilsonii (Wilson's wood-nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Antheraea polyphemus (Polyphemus moth)
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii)
    Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)
    Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus)
    Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)
    Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
    Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
    Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)
    House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus)
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
    Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus)
    Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
    White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)

  • Reptiles:
    Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis)

  • Misc.:
    Harvestman (Unknown sp.)
    Millipede (Unknown sp.)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Euptoieta claudia  Variegated Fritillary (larva)
        Phyciodes tharos  Pearl Crescent
        Thessalia theona  Theona Checkerspot (larva)
        Junonia coenia  Common Buckeye
        Libytheana carinenta  American Snout
      papilionidae  Papilio sp.  Swallowtail (eggs)
      pieridae  Colias eurytheme  Orange Sulphur
        Zerene cesonia  Southern Dogface
        Nathalis iole  Dainty Sulphur
      lycaenidae  Strymon melinus  Gray Hairstreak
        Callophrys henrici  Henry's Elfin
      hesperiidae  Pyrgus philetas  Desert Checkered-skipper
        Hylephila phyleus  Fiery Skipper
        Copaeodes aurantiaca  Orange Skipperling
      noctuidae  Alypia octomaculata  Eight-spotted Forester
        Tarache tetragona  Four-spotted Bird Dropping Moth
        Peridroma saucia  Pearly Underwing
        Helicoverpa zea  Corn Earworm Moth
        Xerociris wilsonii  Wilson's Wood-nymph
        Phosphila miselioides  Spotted Phosphila
        Cissusa mucronata  Moth
        Anicla infecta  Green Cutworm Moth
        Catabena lineolata  Fine-lined Sallow
        Agrotis ipsilon  Ipsilon Dart
        Aon noctuiformis  Moth
        Lacinipolia erecta  Moth
        Cerathosia tricolor  Moth
        Morrisonia mucens  Gray Woodgrain
      arctiidae  Estigmene acrea  Saltmarsh Moth (adult & larva)
        Grammia arge  Moth
      notodontidae  Litodonta hydromeli  Prominent
      geometridae  Anavitrinella atristrigaria  Gulf Coast Gray
        Glena quinquelinearia  Five-lined Glena
        Digrammia pallidata  Moth
        Digrammia atrofasciata  Moth
        Digrammia californiaria  Moth
        Digrammia colorata  Moth
        Chlorochlamys chloroleucaria  Blackberry Looper Moth (adult & larva)
        Eupithecia bolterii  Pug
        Phigalia strigataria  Small Phigalia (adult & larva)
        Phigalia titea  The Halfwing
        Holochroa dissociarius  Moth
      saturniidae  Antheraea polyphemus  Polyphemus Moth (adult & eggs)
        Hyalophora cecropia  Cecropia Moth (adult & eggs)
      crambidae  Diastictis fracturalis  Moth
        Pyrausta laticlavia  Southern Purple Mint Moth
        Achyra rantalis  Garden Webworm Moth
        Uresiphita reversalis  Genista Caterpillar (larva)
      pyralidae  Homoeosoma electella  Sunflower Moth
        Ephestiodes sp.  Moth
        Laetilia coccidivora  Moth
        Myelopsis alatella  Moth
      tortricidae  Pseudexentera sp.  Leafroller Moth
        Pelochrista scintillana  Leafroller Moth
      lacturidae  Lactura sp.  Moth
      elachistidae  Ethmia semilugens  Ethmia Moth
        Ethmia zelleriella  Zeller's Ethmia
      thyrididae  Pseudothyris sepulchralis  Mournful Thyris Moth
      coleophoridae  Blastobasis sp.  Moth
      gelechiidae  Battaristis sp.  Moth
      choreutidae  Tebenna sp.  Metalmark Moth

    coleoptera  coccinellidae  Coccinella septempunctata  Seven-spotted Ladybird
        Hippodamia convergens  Convergent Ladybird
        Cycloneda sanguinea  Red Ladybird
      chrysomelidae  Diabrotica undecimpunctata  Spotted Cucumber Beetle
        Asphaera lustrans  Flea Beetle
      scarabaeidae  Cotinis nitida  Green June Beetle (larva)
        Phyllophaga rubiginosa  June Beetle
      mordellidae  Mordellistena cervicalis  Tumbling Flower Beetle
      curculionidae  Sitona californius  Broad-nosed Weevil

    hemiptera  reduviidae  Zelus sp.  Assassin Bug (eggs)
      miridae  Lopidea major  Plant Bug
        Unknown sp.  Plant Bug (nymph)
      coreidae  Hypselonotus punctiventris  Coreid Bug
      lygaeidae  Nysius sp.  False Chinch Bug
      pentatomidae  Euschistus tristigmus  Stink Bug

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Neokolla uhleri  Leafhopper
        Cuerna costalis  Leafhopper
      cercopidae  Lepyronia quadrangularis  Spittlebug

    hymenoptera  apidae  Apis mellifera  Honey Bee
      vespidae  Polistes exclamans  Paper Wasp
        Polistes rubiginosus  Paper Wasp
        Vespula maculifrons  Eastern Yellowjacket (queen)

    diptera  syrphidae  Allograpta obliqua  Flower Fly
        Copestylum marginatum  Flower Fly
        Copestylum avidum  Flower Fly
      anthomyiidae  Unknown sp.  Root Maggot Fly
      tachinidae  Cylindromyia sp.s  Tachinid Fly
        Unknown sp.  Tachinid Fly
      tipulidae  Tipula sp.  Crane Fly

    orthoptera  acrididae  Melanoplus sp.  Spur-throated Grasshopper (nymph)
      tettigoniidae  Scudderia furcata  Fork-tailed Bush Katydid (nymph)

    dermaptera  anisolabididae  Euborellia annulipes  Ring-legged Earwig

    neuroptera  chrysopidae  Chrysoperla sp.  Green Lacewing

    araneae  theridiidae  Steatoda triangulosa  Cobweb Weaver
        Latrodectus sp.  Black Widow
      lycosidae  Unknown sp.  Wolf Spider
      thomisidae  Mecaphesa sp.  Crab Spider

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