The morning was cold and sunny as five volunteers completed this week's survey. Insects cannot internally regulate their temperature like mammals and birds, but, by basking in the sun and the vibration of their flight muscles, they do manage to stay warm enough to function. The setae, or hairs, on the thorax of some insects, such as the Variegated Meadowhawk shown below, help them to retain that heat in cold weather. Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings: Unknown sp. (scarab larva) photo by Val Bugh Arilus cristatus (wheel bug) photo by Val Bugh Acinopterus angulatus (leafhopper) photo by Val Bugh Hemiargus isola (Reakirt's blue) photo by Val Bugh Agraulis vanillae (gulf fritillary) photo by Val Bugh Danaus gilippus (queen) photo by Val Bugh Pyrgus philetas (desert checkered-skipper) photo by Val Bugh Sympetrum corruptum (variegated meadowhawk) photo by Val Bugh Lasioglossum sp. (sweat bee) photo by Val Bugh Polistes dorsalis (paper wasp) photo by Val Bugh Netelia sp. (ichneumon) photo by Barbara Ribble Cynomya cadaverina (bluebottle fly) photo by Val Bugh Ochlerotatus sollicitans (eastern saltmarsh mosquito) photo by Val Bugh Pseudosermyle strigata (walking stick, male) photo by Val Bugh Syrbula admirabilis (handsome grasshopper) photo by Val Bugh Mecaphesa sp. (crab spider) photo by Val Bugh Carpodacus mexicanus (house finch) photo by Dan Zinn Birds: Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii) Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus) Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria) Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus) Mammals: Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger) Hispid Cotton Rat (Sigmodon hispidus) Misc.: Millipede (Aniulus sp.) Insects & Spiders: order family genus/species common name lepidoptera   nymphalidae   Danaus gilippus   Queen       Agraulis vanillae   Gulf Fritillary (adult & larva)       Vanessa atalanta   Red Admiral    pieridae   Eurema nicippe   Sleepy Orange    papilionidae   Papilio cresphontes   Giant Swallowtail (larva)       Battus philenor   Pipevine Swallowtail (pupa)    lycaenidae   Hemiargus isola   Reakirt's Blue    hesperiidae   Lerodea eufala   Eufala Skipper       Pyrgus philetas   Desert Checkered-skipper coleoptera   chrysomelidae   Diabrotica undecimpunctata   Spotted Cucumber Beetle    coccinellidae   Coccinella septempunctata   Seven-spotted Lady Beetle    scarabaeidae   Unknown sp.   Scarab (larva)    carabidae   Unknown sp.   Ground Beetle hemiptera   reduviidae   Arilus cristatus   Wheel Bug    miridae   Hesperolabops gelastops   Cactus Plant Bug    pentatomidae   Oebalus pugnax   Rice Stink Bug       Mecidea major   Grass Stink Bug       Thyanta custator   Stink Bug homoptera   cicadellidae   Cuerna costalis   Leafhopper       Neokolla dolobrata   Leafhopper       Graphocephala versuta   Leafhopper       Acinopterus angulatus   Leafhopper    aphalaridae   Pachypsylla sp.   Hackberry Psyllid hymenoptera   apidae   Apis mellifera   Honey Bee    halictidae   Lasioglossum sp.   Sweat Bee       Agapostemon sp.   Green Sweat Bee    vespidae   Vespula squamosa   Southern Yellowjacket       Polistes dorsalis   Paper Wasp    ichneumonidae   Netelia sp.   Ichneumon diptera   culicidae   Aedes aegypti   Yellow-fever Mosquito       Ochlerotatus sollicitans   Eastern Saltmarsh Mosquito    limoniidae   Unknown sp.   Crane Fly    tachinidae   Unknown sp.   Tachinid Fly    calliphoridae   Cynomya cadaverina   Bluebottle Fly odonata   libellulidae   Sympetrum corruptum   Variegated Meadowhawk orthoptera   acrididae   Melanoplus plebejus   Plebeian Grasshopper       Syrbula admirabilis   Handsome Grasshopper       Eritettix abortivus   Texas Short-winged Slant-faced Grasshopper       Lactista aztecus   Aztec Bandwing       Chortophaga viridifasciata   Northern Green-striped Grasshopper (nymph)    gryllidae   Gryllus sp.   Field Cricket (nymph)       Oecanthus varicornis   Tree Cricket blattodea   blattellidae   Parcoblatta sp.   Wood Roach (nymph) phasmatodea   diapheromeridae   Pseudosermyle strigata   Walking Stick neuroptera   chrysopidae   Unknown sp.   Green Lacewing araneae   thomisidae   Mecaphesa sp.   Crab Spider    oxyopidae   Peucetia viridans   Green Lynx    lycosidae   Schizocosa sp.   Wolf Spider