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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey August 11, 2016


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

Seven volunteers completed this week's survey under hot and mostly sunny conditions. When katydids mate, the male attaches an elaborate spermatophore to the female (see image below). The white glob includes a protein-rich spermatophylax that the female will eat, giving the sperm, along with substances to reduce receptivity to other males, time to transfer from the ampulla.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Pepsis sp. (tarantula hawks mating)
photo by Harriett Wolf


Efferia sp. (robber fly)
photo by Val Bugh


Condylostylus sp. (long-legged fly)
photo by Dan Zinn


Colonus hesperus (jumping spider)
photo by Val Bugh


Platycryptus undatus (jumping spider)
photo by Val Bugh


Argiope aurantia (black and yellow garden spider eating grasshopper)
photo by Dan Zinn


Archilochus sp. (hummingbird)
photo by Barbara Ribble


Sylvilagus floridanus (eastern cottontail)
photo by Harriett Wolf


Sceloporus olivaceus (Texas spiny lizard)
photo by Barbara Ribble


Cnemidophorus gularis gularis (Texas spotted whiptail eating grasshopper)
photo by Harriett Wolf


Callibaetis sp. (small minnow mayfly)
photo by Val Bugh


Argia translata (dusky dancer)
photo by Val Bugh


Oncometopia orbona & Homalodisca vitripennis (our largest leafhoppers)
photo by Val Bugh


Scudderia furcata (fork-tailed bush katydid, female with spermatophore)
photo by Val Bugh


Eumorpha fasciatus (banded sphinx larva, green form)
photo by Val Bugh


Eumorpha fasciatus (banded sphinx larva, yellow form)
photo by Val Bugh


Phyciodes texana (Texan crescent larvae)
photo by Val Bugh


Thorybes pylades (northern cloudywing larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Strymon istapa (mallow scrub-hairstreak)
photo by Val Bugh


Papilio cresphontes (giant swallowtail)
photo by Harriett Wolf

  • Birds:
    American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
    Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)
    Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri)
    Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus)
    Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)
    Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)
    Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
    Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota)
    Green Heron (Butorides virescens)
    Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Picoides scalaris)
    Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria)
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
    Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra)
    Western Kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis)
    Western Scrub-jay (Aphelocoma californica)
    White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus)
    White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)

  • Mammals:
    Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)

  • Reptiles, Amphibians & Fish:
    Texas Spotted Whiptail (Cnemidophorus gularis gularis)
    Texas Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus olivaceus)
    Rio Grande Leopard Frog (Rana berlandieri)
    Gulf Coast Toad (Bufo nebulifer), tadpoles
    Rio Grande Cichlid (Herichtys cyanoguttatus)
    Sailfin Molly (Poecilia latipinna)
    Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis)

  • Misc.:
    Harvestman (Leiobunum sp.)
    Greenhouse Millipede (Oxidus gracilis)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Danaus gilippus  Queen
        Agraulis vanillae  Gulf Fritillary
        Phyciodes texana  Texan Crescent (larva)
        Mestra amymone  Common Mestra
      pieridae  Eurema nicippe  Sleepy Orange
        Phoebis sennae  Cloudless Sulphur
      papilionidae  Papilio cresphontes  Giant Swallowtail
      lycaenidae  Hemiargus isola  Reakirt's Blue
        Strymon istapa  Mallow Scrub-hairstreak
      hesperiidae  Lerema accius  Clouded Skipper
        Calpodes ethlius  Brazilian Skipper (pupa)
        Thorybes pylades  Northern Cloudywing (larva)
        Chioides albofasciatus  White-striped Longtail
        Systasea pulverulenta  Texas Powdered-skipper
        Pyrgus communis/albescens  Common/White Checkered-skipper
      sphingidae  Eumorpha fasciatus  Banded Sphinx (larva)
      crambidae  Pyrausta inornatalis  Inornate Pyrausta Moth
        Lipocosma polingi  Moth
      gelechiidae  Aristotelia sp.  moth
        Anacampsis fullonella  Moth
      heliodinidae  Aetole sp.  Moth
      acrolophidae  Amydria margoriella  Moth
        Acrolophus heppneri  Tubeworm Moth

    coleoptera  coccinellidae  Coccinella septempunctata  Seven-spotted Lady Beetle
      chrysomelidae  Donacia sp.  Aquatic Leaf Beetle
        Anisostena sp.  Leaf Beetle
      elateridae  Diplostethus texanus  Click Beetle

    hemiptera  coreidae  Acanthocephala terminalis  Coreid Bug
        Leptoglossus phyllopus  Eastern Leaf-footed Bug (adult & nymph)
        Hypselonotus punctiventris  Coreid Bug
      lygaeidae  Oncopeltus fasciatus  Large Milkweed Bug
      rhyparochromidae  Ozophora picturata  Seed Bug
      reduviidae  Zelus renardii  Assassin Bug (adult & nymph)
      scutelleridae  Diolcus chrysorrhoeus  Shield Bug

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Homalodisca vitripennis  Glassy-winged Sharpshooter
        Oncometopia orbona  Leafhopper
        Neokolla dolobrata  Leafhopper
        Texananus excultus  Leafhopper
        Illinigina illinoiensis  Leafhopper
        Graphocephala versuta  Leafhopper
      flatidae  Metcalfa pruinosa  Citrus Planthopper
      cercopidae  Lepyronia quadrangularis  Spittlebug
      cicadidae  Tibicen texanus  Cicada

    hymenoptera  apidae  Apis mellifera  Honey Bee
        Bombus pensylvanicus  American Bumble Bee
        Xylocopa virginica  Eastern Carpenter Bee
        Xylocopa micans  Southern Carpenter Bee
        Ceratina cockerelli  Small Carpenter Bee
      halictidae  Unknown sp.  Green Sweat Bee
        Augochloropsis metallica  Green Sweat Bee
        Lasioglossum sp.  Sweat Bee
      sphecidae  Sphex ichneumoneus  Great Golden Digger Wasp
      vespidae  Polistes exclamans  Paper Wasp
        Polistes rubiginosus  Red Wasp
        Polistes bellicosus  Paper Wasp
      pompilidae  Pepsis sp.  Spider Wasp
        Tachypompilus sp.  Spider Wasp
      formicidae  Crematogaster laeviuscula  Acrobat Ant

    diptera  syrphidae  Copestylum tamaulipanum  Flower Fly
        Dioprosopa clavata  Flower Fly
      asilidae  Efferia sp.  Robber Fly
      dolichopodidae  Condylostylus sp.  Long-legged Fly
      culicidae  Aedes albopictus  Asian Tiger Mosquito

    odonata  libellulidae  Libellula croceipennis  Neon Skimmer
        Pachydiplax longipennis  Blue Dasher
        Erythemis simplicicollis  Eastern Pondhawk
      coenagrionidae  Argia immunda  Kiowa Dancer
        Argia translata  Dusky Dancer

    orthoptera  acrididae  Melanoplus plebejus  Plebeian Grasshopper (adult & nymph)
        Melanoplus flabellatus  Dallas Short-winged Grasshopper
        Melanoplus differentialis  Differential Grasshopper
        Melanoplus ponderosus  Ponderous Grasshopper
        Hesperotettix speciosus  Showy Grasshopper
        Lactista aztecus  Aztec Bandwing (adult & nymph)
        Chortophaga viridifasciata  Northern Green-striped Grasshopper (nymph)
        Schistocerca nitens  Gray Bird Grasshopper (nymph)
      tettigoniidae  Scudderia furcata  Fork-tailed Bush Katydid (adult & nymph)
      gryllidae  Oecanthus sp.  Tree Cricket

    mantodea  mantidae  Stagmomantis carolina  Carolina Mantis (nymph)

    dermaptera  anisolabididae  Euborellia annulipes  Ring-legged Earwig

    ephemeroptera  baetidae  Callibaetis sp.  Small Minnow Mayfly

    araneae  salticidae  Phidippus audax  Bold Jumper
        Phidippus arizonensis  Arizona Jumper
        Colonus hesperus  Jumping Spider
        Platycryptus undatus  Jumping Spider
        Anasaitis canosa  Jumping Spider
      oxyopidae  Peucetia viridans  Green Lynx
      thomisidae  Mecaphesa sp.  Crab Spider
      araneidae  Argiope aurantia  Black and Yellow Garden Spider
      uloboridae  Uloborus glomosus  Feather-legged Orbweaver

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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey August 11, 2016