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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey September 11, 2014


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

A team of six participated in this week's survey; conditions were hot and mostly sunny. After bees, flies are the second most important insect pollinators, but they lack stingers for protection as they fly around flowers. They are not defenseless though, and many avoid predators by mimicking the venomous bees and wasps. The masquerade can be very effective, as illustrated by two examples below.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Oncopeltus fasciatus (large milkweed bugs mating)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (shield bugs hatching)
photo by Val Bugh


Euschistus servus (brown stink bug)
photo by Val Bugh


Tylospilus acutissimus (predatory stink bug)
photo by Val Bugh


Oliarus sp. (cixiid planthopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Telebasis salva (desert firetail)
photo by Val Bugh


Physocephala texana (thick-headed fly)
photo by Val Bugh


Toxomerus politus (flower fly)
photo by Val Bugh


Sphaenothecus bivittata (longhorn beetle)
photo by Val Bugh


Encoptolophus subgracilis (southwestern dusky grasshopper nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Melanoplus differentialis (differential grasshopper, rather wet)
photo by Val Bugh


Stagmomantis carolina (Carolina mantis females: color variations)
photo by Val Bugh


Hemiargus isola (Reakirt's blue)
photo by Val Bugh


Callopistria floridensis (Florida fern moth)
photo by Dan Zinn


Thioptera nigrofimbria (black-bordered lemon moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Schinia chrysellus (broomweed flower moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Atteva aurea (ailanthus webworm moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Cudonigera houstonana (juniper budworm moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Mecaphesa dubia (crab spider eating moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Gea heptagon (orbweaver)
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri)
    Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus)
    Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)
    Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
    Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
    Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria)
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
    Western Scrub-jay (Aphelocoma californica)
    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 & Amphibians:
    Mediterranean Gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus)
    Redstripe Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis proximus rubrilineatus)
    Rio Grande Leopard Frog (Rana berlandieri)

  • Misc.:
    Globular Drop (Helicina orbiculata)
    Greenhouse Millipede (Oxidus gracilis)
    Harvestman (Leiobunum sp.)
    Halloween Harvestman (Dalquestia formosa)
    Striped Bark Scorpion (Centruroides vittatus)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Agraulis vanillae  Gulf Fritillary
        Danaus gilippus  Queen (adult & larva)
        Mestra amymone  Common Mestra
        Junonia coenia  Common Buckeye
      pieridae  Eurema nicippe  Sleepy Orange
        Eurema lisa  Little Yellow
        Nathalis iole  Dainty Sulphur
        Phoebis sennae  Cloudless Sulphur
      lycaenidae  Callophrys gryneus  Juniper Hairstreak
        Hemiargus isola  Reakirt's Blue
      papilionidae  Battus philenor  Pipevine Swallowtail
        Papilio cresphontes  Giant Swallowtail
      hesperiidae  Hylephila phyleus  Fiery Skipper
        Lerodea eufala  Eufala Skipper
        Euphyes vestris  Dun Skipper
        Atalopedes campestris  Sachem
        Amblyscirtes celia  Celia's Roadside-skipper
        Erynnis horatius  Horace's Duskywing
        Thorybes pylades  Northern Cloudywing
      noctuidae  Tripudia quadrifera  Moth
        Thioptera nigrofimbria  Black-bordered Lemon Moth
        Callopistria floridensis  Florida Fern Moth
        Schinia chrysellus  Broomweed Flower Moth
      arctiidae  Hypoprepia miniata  Scarlet-winged Lichen Moth
        Estigmene acrea  Saltmarsh Caterpillar (eggs)
      geometridae  Synchlora frondaria  Camouflaged Looper (larva)
        Fernaldella fimetaria  Moth
        Lobocleta peralbata  White Wave
      crambidae  Lipocosma polingi  Moth
        Aethiophysa lentiflualis  Moth
        Dicymolomia julianalis  Moth
        Uresiphita reversalis  Genista Caterpillar Moth
        Desmia subdivisalis  Moth
        Diastictis fracturalis  Moth
      pyralidae  Ephestiodes sp.  Moth
      tortricidae  Cudonigera houstonana  Juniper Budworm Moth
        Epiblema abruptana  Leafroller Moth
      oecophoridae  Inga cretacea  Chalky Inga
        Inga obscuromaculella  Moth
      glyphidoceridae  Glyphidocera lactiflosella  Five-spotted Glyphidocera
      zygaenidae  Acoloithus novaricus  False Skeletonizer Moth
      gelechiidae  Aristotelia sp.  Moth
        Polyhymno acaciella  Moth
      yponomeutidae  Atteva aurea  Ailanthus Webworm Moth

    coleoptera  chrysomelidae  Asphaera lustrans  Flea Beetle
        Pachybrachis turbidus  Leaf Beetle
      coccinellidae  Cycloneda sanguinea  Red Lady Beetle (adult & larva)
      carabidae  Pasimachus californicus  Ground Beetle
      tenebrionidae  Eleodes goryi  Darkling Beetle
      cerambycidae  Sphaenothecus bivittata  Longhorn Beetle
      scarabaeidae  Diplotaxis sp.  Scarab
      curculionidae  Curculio sp.  Nut Weevil

    hemiptera  coreidae  Leptoglossus clypealis  Leaf-footed Bug
        Leptoglossus phyllopus  Eastern Leaf-footed Bug
        Chariesterus antennator  Euphorbia Bug
      lygaeidae  Oncopeltus fasciatus  Large Milkweed Bug (adult & nymph)
      rhyparochromidae  Heraeus plebejus  Seed Bug
      miridae  Halticotoma valida  Yucca Plant Bug
        Halticotoma sp.  Plant Bug
      reduviidae  Zelus renardii  Assassin Bug (nymph)
      cydnidae  Pangaeus sp.  Burrowing Bug
      scutelleridae  Diolcus sp.  Shield Bug
        Unknown sp.  Shield Bug (nymph)
      pentatomidae  Euschistus servus  Brown Stink Bug
        Euschistus obscurus  Stink Bug
        Chinavia hilare  Green Stink Bug
        Tylospilus acutissimus  Predatory Stink Bug

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Cuerna costalis  Leafhopper
        Texananus excultus  Leafhopper
        Graphocephala versuta  Leafhopper
      flatidae  Ormenis sp.  Planthopper
      cixiidae  Oliarus sp.  Planthopper
      cicadidae  Tibicen superbus  Superb Cicada

    hymenoptera  apidae  Apis mellifera  Honey Bee
        Bombus pensylvanicus  American Bumble Bee
        Melissodes sp.  Digger Bee
        Xylocopa micans  Southern Carpenter Bee
      halictidae  Agapostemon sp.  Green Sweat Bee
      megachilidae  Dianthidium sp.  Resin Bee
        Megachile sp.  Leaf-cutter Bee
      vespidae  Polistes exclamans  Paper Wasp
        Polistes carolina  Red Wasp
        Polistes fuscatus  Northern Paper Wasp
        Euodynerus sp.  Mason Wasp
      sphecidae  Sphex ichneumoneus  Great Golden Digger Wasp
        Sphex texanus  Digger Wasp
        Sceliphron caementarium  Black-and-yellow Mud Dauber
      crabronidae  Tachytes sp.  Digger Wasp

    diptera  syrphidae  Ocyptamus fascipennis  Flower Fly
        Copestylum tamaulipanum  Flower Fly
        Toxomerus politus  Flower Fly
      conopidae  Physocephala texana  Thick-headed Fly
      asilidae  Polacantha sp.  Robber Fly
      dolichopodidae  Condylostylus sp.  Long-legged Fly
      culicidae  Aedes albopictus  Asian Tiger Mosquito
        Aedes aegypti  Yellow-fever Mosquito
      limoniidae  Unknown sp.  Crane Fly

    odonata  coenagrionidae  Ischnura ramburii  Rambur's Forktail
        Ischnura hastata  Citrine Forktail
        Argia immunda  Kiowa Dancer
        Telebasis salva  Desert Firetail
      libellulidae  Libellula croceipennis  Neon Skimmer
        Pachydiplax longipennis  Blue Dasher
        Erythemis simplicicollis  Eastern Pondhawk
        Tramea onusta  Red Saddlebags
      aeshnidae  Anax junius  Common Green Darner

    orthoptera  acrididae  Encoptolophus subgracilis  Southwestern Dusky Grasshopper (adult & nymph)
        Melanoplus plebejus  Plebeian Grasshopper
        Melanoplus differentialis  Differential Grasshopper
        Schistocerca nitens  Gray Bird Grasshopper
        Schistocerca obscura  Obscure Bird Grasshopper
        Schistocerca sp.  Bird Grasshopper (nymph)
      tettigoniidae  Microcentrum rhombifolium  Greater Angle-wing
      gryllidae  Gryllus sp.  Field Cricket (nymph)
      mogoplistidae  Cycloptilum sp.  Scaly Cricket (nymph)

    mantodea  mantidae  Stagmomantis carolina  Carolina Mantis

    dermaptera  anisolabididae  Euborellia annulipes  Ring-legged Earwig

    blattodea  polyphagidae  Arenivaga sp.  Sand Roach

    embioptera  oligotomidae  Oligotoma sp.  Webspinner

    araneae  araneidae  Argiope aurantia  Black and Yellow Garden Spider
        Argiope trifasciata  Banded Garden Spider
        Gea heptagon  Orbweaver
        Metepeira sp.  Orbweaver
      thomisidae  Mecaphesa dubia  Crab Spider
      salticidae  Anasaitis canosa  Jumping Spider
        Thiodina puerpera  Jumping Spider

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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey September 11, 2014