The weather was hot and sunny as this week's survey was conducted by five volunteers. Predation is one way that insect numbers are kept in check, and many times the predator is yet another insect! Examples below include robber flies, as well as the aptly named assassin bug. Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings: Bombus pensylvanicus (American bumble bee) photo by Val Bugh Sphecius speciosus (cicada killer) photo by Val Bugh Hermetia sp. (soldier fly - an excellent wasp mimic!) photo by Val Bugh Zonosemata electa (pepper maggot fly) photo by Val Bugh Efferia tuberculata (a very small robber fly) photo by Val Bugh Efferia sp. (robber fly eating honey bee) photo by Val Bugh Polacantha sp. (robber fly eating leafhopper) photo by Val Bugh Promachus hinei (robber flies mating) photo by Val Bugh Leptotes marina (marine blue) photo by Val Bugh Omophoita cyanipennis (flea beetle) photo by Val Bugh Coleomegilla maculata (spotted ladybird) photo by Val Bugh Largus sp. (largus bug) photo by Val Bugh Zelus renardii (assassin bug eating leaf beetle) photo by Val Bugh Protenor belfragei (broad-headed bug) photo by Val Bugh Acanalonia parva (planthopper) photo by Val Bugh Libellula luctuosa (widow skimmer) photo by Val Bugh Argiope trifasciata (banded garden spider) photo by Val Bugh Peucetia viridans (green lynx) photo by Val Bugh Cnemidophorus gularis gularis (Texas spotted whiptail) photo by Harriett Wolf Anolis carolinensis (green anole) photo by Val Bugh Birds: Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii) Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri) Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus) House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria) Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) 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: Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger) Hispid Cotton Rat (Sigmodon hispidus) Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) Reptiles: Texas Spotted Whiptail (Cnemidophorus gularis gularis) Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis) Insects & Spiders: order family genus/species common name lepidoptera   nymphalidae   Danaus gilippus   Queen       Agraulis vanillae   Gulf Fritillary       Asterocampa clyton   Tawny Emperor       Phyciodes texana   Texan Crescent    pieridae   Phoebis sennae   Cloudless Sulphur       Eurema nicippe   Sleepy Orange       Eurema lisa   Little Yellow       Nathalis iole   Dainty Sulphur    lycaenidae   Leptotes marina   Marine Blue    papilionidae   Papilio cresphontes   Giant Swallowtail (adult & larva)    hesperiidae   Pyrgus communis/albescens   Common/White Checkered-skipper       Systasea pulverulenta   Texas Powdered-skipper       Thorybes pylades   Northern Cloudywing       Erynnis horatius   Horace's Duskywing       Euphyes vestris   Dun Skipper       Lerema accius   Clouded Skipper       Amblyscirtes nysa   Nysa Roadside-skipper    noctuidae   Melipotis cellaris   Moth       Tarache quadriplaga   Bird Dropping Moth    notodontidae   Schizura errucata   Prominent    sphingidae   Manduca sexta   Carolina Sphinx (larva)    geometridae   Digrammia californiaria   Moth       Tornos scolopacinaria   Moth       Lobocleta ossularia   Drab Brown Wave       Pero meskaria   Moth    crambidae   Urola nivalis   Snowy Urola       Microtheoris vibicalis   Moth       Hileithia magualis   Moth    gelechiidae   Polyhymno luteostrigella   Moth    zygaenidae   Acoloithus novaricus   False Skeletonizer (larva)    heliodinidae   Aetole bella   Moth coleoptera   coccinellidae   Cycloneda sanguinea   Red Ladybird       Coleomegilla maculata   Spotted Ladybird    chrysomelidae   Asphaera lustrans   Flea Beetle       Omophoita cyanipennis   Flea Beetle       Lema trabeata   Leaf Beetle    buprestidae   Acmaeodera ornatoides   Metallic Woodborer    elateridae   Unknown sp.   Click Beetle    mordellidae   Unknown sp.   Tumbling Flower Beetle    curculionidae   Cylindrocopturus sp.   Weevil hemiptera   coreidae   Leptoglossus phyllopus   Eastern Leaf-footed Bug       Acanthocephala terminalis   Coreid Bug (nymph)    alydidae   Hyalymenus tarsatus   Texas Bow-legged Bug       Burtinus notatipennis   Broad-headed Bug       Protenor belfragei   Broad-headed Bug    largidae   Largus sp.   Largus Bug    rhyparochromidae   Ozophora picturata   Seed Bug    berytidae   Jalysus sp.   Stilt Bug    reduviidae   Zelus renardii   Assassin Bug       Zelus tetracanthus   Four-spined Assassin Bug    pentatomidae   Euschistus quadrator   Stink Bug homoptera   cicadellidae   Neokolla dolobrata   Leafhopper (adult & nymph)       Graphocephala versuta   Leafhopper       Homalodisca vitripennis   Glassy-winged Sharpshooter       Gyponana sp.   Leafhopper       Scaphoideus sp.   Leafhopper    cercopidae   Clastoptera sp.   Spittlebug (adult & nymph)    acanaloniidae   Acanalonia parva   Planthopper    cicadidae   Pacarina puella   Cicada       Tibicen texanus   Cicada hymenoptera   apidae   Apis mellifera   Honey Bee       Bombus pensylvanicus   American Bumble Bee       Centris atripes   Digger Bee       Anthophora californica   Digger Bee    megachilidae   Anthidiellum notatum   Bee    vespidae   Polistes exclamans   Paper Wasp       Polistes carolina   Red Wasp       Polistes bellicosus   Paper Wasp       Polistes fuscatus   Paper Wasp    sphecidae   Sphex lucae   Digger Wasp       Sphex ichneumoneus   Great Golden Digger Wasp       Ammophila sp.   Thread-waisted Wasp       Sceliphron caementarium   Yellow-and-black Mud Dauber    crabronidae   Trypoxylon sp.   Wasp       Sphecius speciosus   Cicada Killer    pompilidae   Pepsis sp.   Spider Wasp    formicidae   Crematogaster sp.   Acrobat Ant diptera   tephritidae   Zonosemata electa   Pepper Maggot Fly    stratiomyidae   Hermetia sp.   Soldier Fly    dolichopodidae   Condylostylus sp.   Long-legged Fly    sarcophagidae   Unknown sp.   Flesh Fly    asilidae   Efferia sp.   Robber Fly       Efferia tuberculata   Robber Fly       Promachus hinei   Robber Fly       Polacantha sp.   Robber Fly odonata   coenagrionidae   Ischnura ramburii   Rambur's Forktail       Argia immunda   Kiowa Dancer       Argia fumipennis   Variable Dancer    libellulidae   Pachydiplax longipennis   Blue Dasher       Perithemis tenera   Eastern Amberwing       Libellula croceipennis   Neon Skimmer       Libellula luctuosa   Widow Skimmer       Orthemis ferruginea   Roseate Skimmer orthoptera   acrididae   Schistocerca sp.   Bird Grasshopper (nymph)       Mermiria bivittata   Two-striped Mermiria       Melanoplus plebejus   Plebeian Grasshopper (nymph)       Hesperotettix speciosus   Showy Grasshopper       Encoptolophus subgracilis   Southwestern Dusky Grasshopper    tettigoniidae   Scudderia furcata   Fork-tailed Bush Katydid (adult & nymph)       Amblycorypha huasteca   Texas False Katydid       Conocephalus strictus   Straight-lanced Meadow Katydid       Pediodectes bruneri   Bruner's Shieldback    tetrigidae   Paratettix mexicanus   Pygmy Grasshopper mantodea   mantidae   Stagmomantis carolina   Carolina Mantis (nymph) neuroptera   ascalaphidae   Ululodes macleayanus   Owlfly araneae   oxyopidae   Peucetia viridans   Green Lynx    araneidae   Argiope aurantia   Black and Yellow Garden Spider       Argiope trifasciata   Banded Garden Spider       Neoscona crucifera   Orbweaver    thomisidae   Mecaphesa sp.   Crab Spider    salticidae   Phidippus audax   Bold Jumper       Phidippus mystaceus   Jumping Spider    lycosidae   Hogna carolinensis   Carolina Wolf Spider