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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey August 18, 2016


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

After ample rain, the weather was hot, humid and cloudy as six people conducted this week's survey. Not all female spiders attack their male suitors. In fact, some live together with no hint of domestic animosity. The pair of cellar spiders shown below were found in close proximity within a single web. The male has already done his job because the female is caring for her eggs, held by her jaws.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Eleutherodactylus marnockii (cliff chirping frog)
photo by Dan Zinn


Polygyra sp. (land snail)
photo by Val Bugh


Phidippus audax (bold jumper, immature)
photo by Val Bugh


Crossopriza lyoni (cellar spider, female with eggs & male)
photo by Val Bugh


Spragueia guttata (spotted spragueia moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Megalopyge opercularis (southern flannel moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Spoladea recurvalis (Hawaiian beet webworm moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Phyciodes tharos (pearl crescent)
photo by Val Bugh


Manduca sexta (Carolina sphinx larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Pareuchaetes insulata (yellow-winged pareuchaetes larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Ischnura ramburii (Rambur's forktail, male)
photo by Barbara Ribble


Ischnura hastata (citrine forktail, female)
photo by Val Bugh


Melanoliarus sp. (cixiid planthopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Oncopeltus fasciatus (large milkweed bugs: color variations)
photo by Val Bugh


Melanoplus differentialis (differential grasshopper)
photo by Barbara Ribble


Hermetia sp. (soldier fly)
photo by Val Bugh


Centris atripes (digger bee)
photo by Val Bugh


Plagiometriona clavata (clavate tortoise beetle)
photo by Val Bugh


Hydrophilus triangularis (water scavenger beetle)
photo by Val Bugh

  • Birds:
    Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
    Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri)
    Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota)
    Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor)
    Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
    Least Flycatcher (Empidonax minimus)
    Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria)
    Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
    Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
    White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)

  • Mammals:
    Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)

  • Reptiles, Amphibians & Fish:
    Texas Map Turtle (Graptemys versa)
    Cliff Chirping Frog (Eleutherodactylus marnockii)
    Long-eared Sunfish (Lepomis megalotis)

  • Misc.:
    Harvestman (Leiobunum sp.)
    Greenhouse Millipede (Oxidus gracilis)
    Garden Snail (Otala lactea)
    Globular Drop (Helicina orbiculata)
    Land Snail (Bradybaena similaris)
    Land Snail (Polygyra sp.)
    Striate Wolf Snail (Euglandina singleyana)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Agraulis vanillae  Gulf Fritillary (adult & larva)
        Phyciodes tharos  Pearl Crescent
        Mestra amymone  Common Mestra
      pieridae  Eurema lisa  Little Yellow
        Colias eurytheme  Orange Sulphur
        Phoebis sennae  Cloudless Sulphur
      lycaenidae  Hemiargus ceraunus  Ceraunus Blue
        Strymon istapa  Mallow Scrub-hairstreak
        Callophrys gryneus  Juniper Hairstreak
      hesperiidae  Lerema accius  Clouded Skipper
        Thorybes pylades  Northern Cloudywing
        Erynnis horatius  Horace's Duskywing
        Chioides albofasciatus  White-striped Longtail
        Pyrgus philetas  Desert Checkered-skipper
        Pyrgus communis/albescens  Common/White Checkered-skipper
      noctuidae  Spragueia guttata  Spotted Spragueia Moth
      erebidae  Bulia deducta  Moth
      arctiidae  Pareuchaetes insulata  Yellow-winged Pareuchaetes (larva)
      sphingidae  Eumorpha fasciatus  Banded Sphinx (larva)
        Manduca sexta  Carolina Sphinx (larva)
      geometridae  Synchlora frondaria  Camouflaged Looper (larva)
        Lobocleta peralbata  White Wave
      crambidae  Pyrausta inornatalis  Inornate Pyrausta Moth
        Lipocosma polingi  Moth
        Petrophila jaliscalis  Moth
        Diastictis fracturalis  Moth
        Urola nivalis  Snowy Urola
        Spoladea recurvalis  Hawaiian Beet Webworm Moth
        Achyra rantalis  Garden Webworm Moth
      tortricidae  Bactra verutana  Javelin Moth
        Unknown sp.  Leafroller Moth
      gelechiidae  Isophrictis similiella  moth
        Anacampsis fullonella  Moth
        Dichomeris inversella  Moth
        Deltophora glandiferella  Moth
      oecophoridae  Inga cretacea  Chalky Inga
      elachistidae  Haplochrois bipunctella  Moth
      megalopygidae  Megalopyge opercularis  Southern Flannel Moth
      pterophoridae  Adaina ambrosiae  Ambrosia Plume Moth
      ypsolophidae  Ypsolopha unicipunctella  Agarita Slug Moth
      acrolophidae  Acrolophus sp.  Tubeworm Moth

    coleoptera  chrysomelidae  Asphaera lustrans  Flea Beetle
        Plagiometriona clavata  Clavate Tortoise Beetle
      tenebrionidae  Eleodes goryi  Darkling Beetle
      elateridae  Diplostethus texanus  Click Beetle
      hydrophilidae  Hydrophilus triangularis  Water Scavenger Beetle

    hemiptera  coreidae  Acanthocephala terminalis  Coreid Bug
        Leptoglossus phyllopus  Eastern Leaf-footed Bug
        Mozena lunata  Mesquite Bug
      lygaeidae  Oncopeltus fasciatus  Large Milkweed Bug
      rhopalidae  Niesthrea louisianica  Scentless Plant Bug
      berytidae  Jalysus sp.  Stilt Bug
      miridae  Reuteroscopus sp.  Plant Bug
      reduviidae  Zelus renardii  Assassin Bug
        Arilus cristatus  Wheel Bug
        Emesaya brevipennis  Thread-legged Bug
      pentatomidae  Oebalus pugnax  Rice Stink Bug

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Homalodisca vitripennis  Glassy-winged Sharpshooter
        Oncometopia orbona  Leafhopper
        Neokolla dolobrata  Leafhopper
        Texananus sp.  Leafhopper
        Cuerna costalis  Leafhopper
        Graphocephala versuta  Leafhopper
      flatidae  Metcalfa pruinosa  Citrus Planthopper
      cixiidae  Melanoliarus sp.  Planthopper
      cicadidae  Tibicen texanus  Cicada
        Tibicen resh  Cicada

    hymenoptera  apidae  Apis mellifera  Honey Bee
        Bombus pensylvanicus  American Bumble Bee
        Centris atripes  Digger Bee
      halictidae  Augochloropsis metallica  Green Sweat Bee
      megachilidae  Megachile exilis  Slender Resin Bee
      sphecidae  Sphex texanus  Digger Wasp
        Sceliphron caementarium  Yellow-and-black Mud Dauber
      vespidae  Polistes dorsalis  Paper Wasp
        Polistes rubiginosus  Red Wasp
        Polistes bellicosus  Paper Wasp
      formicidae  Solenopsis invicta  Imported Fire Ant

    diptera  stratiomyidae  Hermetia sp.  Soldier Fly
      dolichopodidae  Condylostylus sp.  Long-legged Fly
      cecidomyiidae  Unknown sp.  Gall Midge
      psychodidae  Clogmia albipunctata  Moth Fly
      culicidae  Aedes albopictus  Asian Tiger Mosquito

    odonata  libellulidae  Libellula croceipennis  Neon Skimmer
        Pachydiplax longipennis  Blue Dasher
        Erythemis simplicicollis  Eastern Pondhawk
      aeshnidae  Anax junius  Common Green Darner
      coenagrionidae  Ischnura ramburii  Rambur's Forktail
        Ischnura hastata  Citrine Forktail

    orthoptera  acrididae  Melanoplus plebejus  Plebeian Grasshopper
        Melanoplus differentialis  Differential Grasshopper
        Syrbula admirabilis  Handsome Grasshopper (nymph)
        Chortophaga viridifasciata  Northern Green-striped Grasshopper
        Schistocerca nitens  Gray Bird Grasshopper
      tettigoniidae  Conocephalus strictus  Straight-lanced Meadow Katydid
      gryllidae  Oecanthus sp.  Tree Cricket (nymph)

    mantodea  mantidae  Stagmomantis carolina  Carolina Mantis (adult & nymph)

    araneae  salticidae  Phidippus audax  Bold Jumper
        Pelegrina galathea  Peppered Jumper
        Colonus hesperus  Jumping Spider
        Maevia poultoni  Jumping Spider
      theridiidae  Argyrodes elevatus  Silver Dewdrop Spider
      oxyopidae  Peucetia viridans  Green Lynx
      thomisidae  Mecaphesa sp.  Crab Spider
      araneidae  Argiope aurantia  Black and Yellow Garden Spider
        Neoscona crucifera  Orbweaver
      pholcidae  Crossopriza lyoni  Cellar Spider

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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey August 18, 2016