It was partly sunny and hot as three volunteers completed this week's survey. While bees are our top insect pollinators, flies rank second in importance. Flies do not have stings but they often have colors and patterns that resemble bees and wasps (see images below), mimicry that gives them some protection from predators. Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings: Cardinalis cardinalis (northern cardinal fledgling) photo by Harriett Wolf Sylvilagus floridanus (eastern cottontail) photo by Val Bugh Eburia haldemani (long-horned beetle) photo by Val Bugh Schistocerca obscura (obscure bird grasshopper) photo by Val Bugh Catorhintha selector (coreid bug) photo by Val Bugh Cuerna costalis (leafhopper, nymph) photo by Val Bugh Vanessa virginiensis (American lady) photo by Val Bugh Strymon istapa (mallow scrub-hairstreak) photo by Val Bugh Calephelis perditalis (rounded metalmark) photo by Val Bugh Danaus plexippus (monarch) photo by Harriett Wolf Diachorisia velatella (moth) photo by Val Bugh Microtheoris vibicalis (moth) photo by Val Bugh Peleteria sp. (tachinid fly) photo by Val Bugh Xanthomelanodes sp. (tachinid fly) photo by Val Bugh Copestylum avidum (flower fly) photo by Val Bugh Megachile exilis (slender resin bee) photo by Val Bugh Centris atripes (digger bee) photo by Val Bugh Tachypompilus unicolor (spider wasp) photo by Val Bugh Scolia nobilitata (scoliid wasp) photo by Val Bugh Xysticus sp. (crab spider eating acrobat ant queen) photo by Val Bugh Birds: Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri) Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica) Mammals: Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger) Reptiles: Texas Spotted Whiptail (Cnemidophorus gularis gularis) Misc.: Globular Drop (Helicina orbiculata) Millipede (Unknown sp.) Insects & Spiders: order family genus/species common name lepidoptera   nymphalidae   Danaus gilippus   Queen       Danaus plexippus   Monarch       Agraulis vanillae   Gulf Fritillary (adult & larva)       Asterocampa celtis   Hackberry Emperor       Vanessa virginiensis   American Lady    pieridae   Phoebis sennae   Cloudless Sulphur       Eurema nicippe   Sleepy Orange       Eurema lisa   Little Yellow    riodinidae   Calephelis perditalis   Rounded Metalmark    papilionidae   Papilio cresphontes   Giant Swallowtail (larva)    lycaenidae   Hemiargus isola   Reakirt's Blue       Hemiargus ceraunus   Ceraunus Blue       Strymon melinus   Gray Hairstreak       Strymon istapa   Mallow Scrub-hairstreak       Callophrys gryneus   Juniper Hairstreak    hesperiidae   Pyrgus communis/albescens   Common/White Checkered-skipper       Pyrgus philetas   Desert Checkered-skipper       Erynnis horatius   Horace's Duskywing       Euphyes vestris   Dun Skipper       Lerodea eufala   Eufala Skipper    noctuidae   Melipotis indomita   Moth       Ponometia fasciatella   Moth       Plusiodonta compressipalpis   Moonseed Moth    arctiidae   Virbia sp.   Moth    notodontidae   Schizura errucata   Prominent    geometridae   Pimaphera percata   Moth       Tornos scolopacinaria   Moth    crambidae   Microtheoris vibicalis   Moth       Glaphyria sequistrialis   White-roped Glaphyria       Lipocosma polingi   Moth       Pyrausta inornatalis   Inornate Pyrausta Moth       Oenobotys texanalis   Moth    pyralidae   Peoria opacella   Grass-veneer Moth    tortricidae   Cydia membrosa   Leafroller Moth       Epiblema strenuana   Ragweed Borer    gelechiidae   Brachyacma palpigera   Soybean Webworm Moth    coleophoridae   Blastobasis sp.   Moth    oecophoridae   Inga obscuromaculella   Moth       Antaeotricha humilis   Moth    acrolophidae   Amydria margoriella   Moth    ypsolophidae   Ypsolopha unicipunctella   Agarita Slug Moth    tineidae   Diachorisia velatella   Moth coleoptera   chrysomelidae   Asphaera lustrans   Flea Beetle       Omophoita cyanipennis   Flea Beetle       Gratiana pallidula   Eggplant Tortoise Beetle    cerambycidae   Eburia haldemani   Long-horned Beetle    tenebrionidae   Eleodes goryi   Darkling Beetle    scarabaeidae   Phyllophaga sp.   June Beetle    elateridae   Unknown sp.   Click Beetle (larva) hemiptera   coreidae   Leptoglossus phyllopus   Eastern Leaf-footed Bug       Leptoglossus zonatus   Leaf-footed Bug       Acanthocephala terminalis   Coreid Bug (nymph)       Acanthocephala femorata   Coreid Bug (nymph)       Chariesterus antennator   Euphorbia Bug       Catorhintha selector   Coreid Bug       Hypselonotus punctiventris   Coreid Bug    reduviidae   Zelus renardii   Assassin Bug    pentatomidae   Euschistus quadrator   Stink Bug       Chlorochroa ligata   Conchuela homoptera   cicadellidae   Homalodisca insolita   Sharpshooter       Neokolla dolobrata   Leafhopper       Cuerna costalis   Leafhopper    cixiidae   Oliarus sp.   Planthopper hymenoptera   apidae   Apis mellifera   Honey Bee       Bombus pensylvanicus   American Bumble Bee       Centris atripes   Digger Bee       Xylocopa parkinsoniae   Large Carpenter Bee       Xylocopa micans   Southern Carpenter Bee    megachilidae   Megachile exilis   Slender Resin Bee       Stelis sp.   Parasitic Leaf-cutter Bee       Dianthidium sp.   Leaf-cutter Bee    halictidae   Lasioglossum sp.   Sweat Bee       Augochloropsis metallica   Green Sweat Bee    vespidae   Polistes exclamans   Paper Wasp       Polistes carolina   Red Wasp       Polistes dorsalis   Paper Wasp       Polistes bellicosus   Paper Wasp       Euodynerus hidalgo   Mason Wasp    sphecidae   Isodontia sp.   Grass-carrying Wasp       Sphex ichneumoneus   Great Golden Digger Wasp       Prionyx sp.   Thread-waisted Wasp       Sceliphron caementarium   Yellow-and-black Mud Dauber       Chalybion sp.   Blue Mud Dauber       Ammophila sp.   Thread-waisted Wasp    crabronidae   Bicyrtes sp.   Sand Wasp       Tachysphex sp.   Wasp    pompilidae   Tachypompilus unicolor   Spider Wasp    scoliidae   Trielis octomaculata   Scoliid Wasp       Scolia nobilitata   Scoliid Wasp    formicidae   Crematogaster sp.   Acrobat Ant diptera   culicidae   Aedes albopictus   Asian Tiger Mosquito    syrphidae   Toxomerus marginatus   Flower Fly       Copestylum avidum   Flower Fly       Dioprosopa clavata   Flower Fly    asilidae   Efferia sp.   Robber Fly    dolichopodidae   Unknown sp.   Long-legged Fly    tachinidae   Peleteria sp.   Tachinid Fly       Xanthomelanodes sp.   Tachinid Fly odonata   coenagrionidae   Argia immunda   Kiowa Dancer       Ischnura ramburii   Rambur's Forktail    libellulidae   Pachydiplax longipennis   Blue Dasher       Libellula croceipennis   Neon Skimmer orthoptera   acrididae   Lactista aztecus   Aztec Bandwing (adult & nymph)       Chortophaga viridifasciata   Northern Green-striped Grasshopper (adult & nymph)       Melanoplus plebejus   Plebeian Grasshopper (nymph)       Melanoplus ponderosus   Ponderous Grasshopper       Melanoplus differentialis   Differential Grasshopper       Melanoplus flabellatus   Dallas Short-winged Grasshopper       Eritettix abortivus   Texas Short-winged Slant-faced Grasshopper       Schistocerca sp.   Bird Grasshopper (nymph)       Schistocerca obscura   Obscure Bird Grasshopper       Schistocerca nitens   Gray Bird Grasshopper    tettigoniidae   Conocephalus strictus   Straight-lanced Meadow Katydid (adult & nymph)       Scudderia furcata   Fork-tailed Bush Katydid (adult & nymph)    gryllidae   Oecanthus sp.   Tree Cricket (nymph) neuroptera   ascalaphidae   Ululodes macleayanus   Owlfly araneae   salticidae   Phidippus audax   Bold Jumper       Platycryptus undatus   Jumping Spider       Metacyrba taeniola   Jumping Spider    araneidae   Argiope aurantia   Black and Yellow Garden Spider    thomisidae   Mecaphesa sp.   Crab Spider       Xysticus sp.   Crab Spider    philodromidae   Philodromus sp.   Running Crab Spider    oxyopidae   Oxyopes salticus   Striped Lynx       Peucetia viridans   Green Lynx