previousindexnext   
  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey July 27, 2017


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

An eight-person team endured yet another hot and sunny morning to complete this week's survey. All the workers in a bumble bee colony are females. Males (see example below), produced from the queen's unfertilized eggs, are larger than the workers and have more yellow. They also have seven abdominal segments, compared to the workers' six.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Archilochus alexandri (black-chinned hummingbird)
photo by Pat Dittmar


Amorpha juglandis (walnut sphinx larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Amyelois transitella (moth)
photo by Val Bugh


Synchlora frondaria (southern emerald)
photo by Val Bugh


Bombus pensylvanicus (American bumble bee, male)
photo by Barbara Ribble


Unknown sp. (green sweat bee)
photo by Val Bugh


Unknown sp. (gall wasp)
photo by Val Bugh


Melanoliarus sp. (cixiid planthopper)
photo by Val Bugh


Chelinidea vittiger (opuntia bug nymphs)
photo by Val Bugh


Eritettix abortivus (Texas short-winged slant-faced grasshopper nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Melanoplus plebejus (plebeian grasshopper nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Stagmomantis carolina (Carolina mantis nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Pseudosermyle strigata (walkingstick nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Pachybrachis turbidus (leaf beetle)
photo by Val Bugh


Orthemis ferruginea (roseate skimmer, immature male)
photo by Val Bugh


Orthemis ferruginea (roseate skimmer, mature male)
photo by Pat Dittmar


Tramea onusta (red saddlebags)
photo by Dan Zinn


Helicina orbiculata (globular drop)
photo by Val Bugh


Thamnophis proximus rubrilineatus
(redstripe ribbon snake)
photo by Barbara Ribble

  • Birds:
    American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
    Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii)
    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)
    Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
    White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus)
    White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)

  • Reptiles:
    Texas Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus olivaceus)
    Texas Spotted Whiptail (Cnemidophorus gularis gularis)
    Redstripe Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis proximus rubrilineatus)
    Rough Green Snake (Opheodrys aestivus)

  • Misc.:
    Greenhouse Millipede (Oxidus gracilis)
    Harvestman (Leiobunum sp.)
    Globular Drop (Helicina orbiculata)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Danaus gilippus  Queen
        Agraulis vanillae  Gulf Fritillary (adult, larva & egg)
      pieridae  Eurema nicippe  Sleepy Orange
        Phoebis sennae  Cloudless Sulphur
      papilionidae  Battus philenor  Pipevine Swallowtail
      lycaenidae  Hemiargus isola  Reakirt's Blue
      hesperiidae  Erynnis horatius  Horace's Duskywing
        Chioides albofasciatus  White-striped Longtail
        Nastra julia  Julia's Skipper
        Lerodea eufala  Eufala Skipper
      sphingidae  Eumorpha vitis  Vine Sphinx
        Amorpha juglandis  Walnut Sphinx (larva)
      geometridae  Synchlora frondaria  Southern Emerald
        Glenoides texanaria  Texas Gray Moth
      crambidae  Desmia sp.  Moth
      pyralidae  Peoria opacella  Grass-veneer Moth
        Amyelois transitella  Moth
        Ephestiodes sp.  Moth
      tortricidae  Platynota rostrana  Omnivorous Platynota Moth
      peleopodidae  Durrantia piperatella  Moth
      glyphidoceridae  Glyphidocera lactiflosella  Five-spotted Glyphidocera
      psychidae  Cryptothelea sp.  Bagworm Moth
      acrolophidae  Acrolophus heppneri  Tubeworm Moth

    coleoptera  coccinellidae  Harmonia axyridis  Multi-colored Asian Lady Beetle
        Cycloneda sanguinea  Red Lady Beetle
        Coccinella septempunctata  Seven-spotted Lady Beetle
      chrysomelidae  Asphaera lustrans  Flea Beetle
        Pachybrachis turbidus  Leaf Beetle
        Diabrotica balteata  Banded Cucumber Beetle
        Plagiometriona clavata  Clavate Tortoise Beetle

    hemiptera  coreidae  Hypselonotus punctiventris  Coreid Bug
        Acanthocephala terminalis  Coreid Bug
        Leptoglossus zonatus  Leaf-footed Bug
        Leptoglossus phyllopus  Eastern Leaf-footed Bug (adult & nymph)
        Chelinidea vittiger  Opuntia Bug (nymph)
      lygaeidae  Oncopeltus fasciatus  Large Milkweed Bug
      alydidae  Hyalymenus tarsatus  Texas Bow-legged Bug
      scutelleridae  Diolcus chrysorrhoeus  Shield Bug
      pentatomidae  Banasa euchlora  Stink Bug
        Brochymena arborea  Rough Stink Bug (nymph)

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Homalodisca vitripennis  Glassy-winged Sharpshooter
      cercopidae  Lepyronia quadrangularis  Spittlebug
      cixiidae  Melanoliarus sp.  Planthopper
      dactylopiidae  Dactylopius sp.  Cochineal Insect
      flatidae  Metcalfa pruinosa  Citrus Planthopper
      aphididae  Aphis nerii  Oleander Aphid
      cicadidae  Tibicen texanus  Cicada

    hymenoptera  apidae  Apis mellifera  Honey Bee
        Bombus pensylvanicus  American Bumble Bee
        Xylocopa virginica  Eastern Carpenter Bee
      halictidae  Unknown sp.  Green Sweat Bee
      vespidae  Polistes exclamans  Paper Wasp
        Polistes rubiginosus  Red Wasp
        Brachygastra mellifica  Mexican Honey Wasp
      sphecidae  Sphex ichneumoneus  Great Golden Digger Wasp
        Sphex lucae  Digger Wasp
      formicidae  Camponotus festinatus  Carpenter Ant
      cynipidae  Unknown sp.  Gall Wasp

    diptera  syrphidae  Ocyptamus fascipennis  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
        Tramea onusta  Red Saddlebags
        Orthemis ferruginea  Roseate Skimmer
      aeshnidae  Anax junius  Common Green Darner
      coenagrionidae  Argia immunda  Kiowa Dancer
        Argia translata  Dusky Dancer

    orthoptera  acrididae  Melanoplus ponderosus  Ponderous Grasshopper
        Melanoplus differentialis  Differential Grasshopper
        Melanoplus plebejus  Plebeian Grasshopper (nymph)
        Hesperotettix speciosus  Showy Grasshopper
        Lactista aztecus  Aztec Bandwing
        Eritettix abortivus  Texas Short-winged Slant-faced Grasshopper
        Schistocerca obscura  Obscure Bird Grasshopper (nymph)
        Schistocerca nitens  Gray Bird Grasshopper (adult & nymph)
      tettigoniidae  Scudderia furcata  Fork-tailed Bush Katydid (nymph)

    mantodea  mantidae  Stagmomantis carolina  Carolina Mantis (nymph)

    phasmatodea  diapheromeridae  Pseudosermyle strigata  Walkingstick

    neuroptera  chrysopidae  Unknown sp.  Green Lacewing (eggs)

    embioptera  oligotomidae  Oligotoma sp.  Webspinner

    araneae  araneidae  Argiope aurantia  Black and Yellow Garden Spider
        Gasteracantha cancriformis  Spiny-backed Orbweaver
      salticidae  Phidippus audax  Bold Jumper
        Anasaitis canosa  Jumping Spider
      oxyopidae  Peucetia viridans  Green Lynx

previousindexnext   
  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey July 27, 2017