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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey October 25, 2018


The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fauna Project

A team of ten completed this week's survey under cloudy, breezy and chilly conditions. Before a caterpillar molts, a new, bigger head capsule forms internally behind the old one, which becomes a hollow shell. In the Tobacco Budworm image shown below, the semicircle of eyes on the new head appear as black dots under the green skin behind the old brown head.

Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings:


Icerya purchasi (cottony cushion scale egg sac with nymphs)
photo by Val Bugh


Eacles imperialis (imperial moth larva)
photo by Barbara Ribble


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


Erynnis horatius (Horace's duskywing larva with wasp cocoon)
photo by Val Bugh


Heliothis virescens (tobacco budworm)
photo by Val Bugh


Cucullia sp. (moth larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Diastema tigris (lantana moth larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Episemasia cervinaria (moth larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Lochmaeus bilineata (double-lined prominent larva)
photo by Val Bugh


Herpetogramma bipunctalis (two-spotted herpetogramma)
photo by Val Bugh


Scopula limboundata (large lace-border)
photo by Val Bugh


Anopheles punctipennis (mosquito with water mites)
photo by Val Bugh


Panorpa nuptialis (scorpionfly)
photo by Val Bugh


Scaptolenus sp. (rain click beetle)
photo by Val Bugh


Oecanthus sp. (tree cricket nymph)
photo by Val Bugh


Phidippus arizonensis (Arizona jumper, female)
photo by Val Bugh


Mecaphesa sp. (crab spider)
photo by Val Bugh


Argiope trifasciata (banded garden spider)
photo by Val Bugh


Coragyps atratus (black vultures)
photo by Harriett Wolf


Odocoileus virginianus (white-tailed deer -
object of the vultures' desire!)
photo by Harriett Wolf

  • Birds:
    American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
    Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)
    Black-bellied Whistling-duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis)
    Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
    Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
    Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)

  • Mammals:
    Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)
    White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus), fresh carcass

  • Reptiles:
    Mediterranean Gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus)
    Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis)

  • Misc.:
    Garden Snail (Otala lactea)
    Globular Drop (Helicina orbiculata)
    Julid Millipede (Aniulus sp.)
    Striped Bark Scorpion (Centruroides vittatus)
    Water Mite (Unknown sp.), on mosquito
    Harvestman (Leiobunum sp.)

  • Insects & Spiders:
    orderfamilygenus/speciescommon name

    lepidoptera  nymphalidae  Danaus plexippus  Monarch
        Chlosyne lacinia  Bordered Patch (larva)
      lycaenidae  Hemiargus isola  Reakirt's Blue (adult & larva)
        Hemiargus ceraunus  Ceraunus Blue
        Strymon melinus  Gray Hairstreak (larva)
      pieridae  Eurema nicippe  Sleepy Orange (larva)
      papilionidae  Papilio cresphontes  Giant Swallowtail (larva)
      hesperiidae  Chioides albofasciatus  White-striped Longtail
        Systasea pulverulenta  Texas Powdered-skipper (larva)
        Erynnis horatius  Horace's Duskywing (larva)
      noctuidae  Cobubatha lixiva  Moth (larva)
        Bagisara sp.  Bird Dropping Moth (larva)
        Bagisara rectifascia  Straight-lined Mallow Moth (larva)
        Micrathetis triplex  Moth
        Diastema tigris  Lantana Moth (larva)
        Chrysodeixis includens  Soybean Looper (larva)
        Anicla infecta  Green Cutworm Moth
        Condica sutor  The Cobbler
        Cucullia sp.  Moth (larva)
        Spodoptera exigua  Beet Armyworm Moth
        Spodoptera frugiperda  Fall Armyworm Moth
        Spodoptera ornithogalli  Yellow-striped Armyworm (larva)
        Orthodes furtiva  Moth
        Heliothis virescens  Tobacco Budworm (larva)
      erebidae  Anticarsia gemmatalis  Velvetbean Caterpillar Moth
        Mocis latipes  Small Mocis
        Eubolina impartialis  Moth
        Zale lunata  Lunate Zale
        Hypena scabra  Green Cloverworm Moth
      arctiidae  Spilosoma virginica  Virginia Tiger Moth (larva)
        Hypercompe scribonia  Great Leopard Moth (larva)
        Estigmene acrea  Saltmarsh Caterpillar (larva)
        Pareuchaetes insulata  Yellow-winged Pareuchaetes (larva)
        Euchaetes egle  Milkweed Tussock Moth (larva)
      notodontidae  Lochmaeus bilineata  Double-lined Prominent (larva)
        Peridea angulosa  Angled Prominent
      saturniidae  Eacles imperialis  Imperial Moth (larva)
      sphingidae  Manduca rustica  Rustic Sphinx (larva)
        Eumorpha fasciatus  Banded Sphinx (larva)
        Hemaris diffinis  Snowberry Clearwing (larva)
      geometridae  Pleuroprucha insulsaria  Common Tan Wave
        Eupithecia miserulata  Common Eupithecia (larva)
        Unknown sp.  Moth (larva)
        Iridopsis defectaria  Brown-shaded Gray Moth
        Glenoides texanaria  Texas Gray Moth
        Digrammia sp.  Moth
        Rindgea nigricomma  Moth
        Psamatodes abydata  Dot-lined Angle
        Lobocleta ossularia  Drab Brown Wave
        Scopula limboundata  Large Lace-border
        Episemasia cervinaria  Moth (larva)
        Chlorochlamys chloroleucaria  Blackberry Looper Moth
        Synchlora frondaria  Southern Emerald
        Nemoria zygotaria  Emerald
      crambidae  Uresiphita reversalis  Genista Caterpillar (larva)
        Pyrausta inornatalis  Inornate Pyrausta Moth
        Herpetogramma bipunctalis  Two-spotted Herpetogramma
        Diacme elealis  Moth
        Samea ecclesialis  Moth
        Glaphyria sequistrialis  White-roped Glaphyria
        Fissicrambus quadrinotellus  Grass-veneer Moth
        Agriphila vulgivagella  Vagabond Crambus
      pyralidae  Hypsopygia olinalis  Yellow-fringed Dolichomia
      tortricidae  Eumarozia malachitana  Sculptured Moth
      ypsolophidae  Ypsolopha unicipunctella  Agarita Slug Moth
      yponomeutidae  Atteva aurea  Ailanthus Webworm Moth
      carposinidae  Carposina sasakii  Peach Fruitworm Moth
      zygaenidae  Harrisina sp.  Grapeleaf Skeletonizer (larva)

    coleoptera  chrysomelidae  Diabrotica undecimpunctata  Spotted Cucumber Beetle
        Cryptocephalus fulguratus  Leaf Beetle
      coccinellidae  Coccinella septempunctata  Seven-spotted Lady Beetle
      tenebrionidae  Eleodes goryi  Darkling Beetle
      elateridae  Aeolus scutellatus  Click Beetle
        Scaptolenus sp.  Rain Click Beetle
      meloidae  Epicauta immaculata  Blister Beetle
        Epicauta pennsylvanica  Blister Beetle
      attelabidae  Haplorhynchites sp.  Flower Weevil

    hemiptera  coreidae  Hypselonotus punctiventris  Coreid Bug
        Mozena lunata  Mesquite Bug (nymph)
      alydidae  Hyalymenus tarsatus  Texas Bow-legged Bug (adult & nymph)
      rhopalidae  Harmostes reflexulus  Scentless Plant Bug
      miridae  Hesperolabops gelastops  Cactus Plant Bug (adult & nymph)
        Taylorilygus apicalis  Plant Bug
        Polymerus basalis  Plant Bug
      reduviidae  Zelus renardii  Assassin Bug
      scutelleridae  Diolcus chrysorrhoeus  Shield Bug (adult & nymph)
      pentatomidae  Chinavia hilaris  Green Stink Bug (adult & nymph)

    homoptera  cicadellidae  Neokolla sp.  Leafhopper (nymph)
      monophlebidae  Icerya purchasi  Cottony Cushion Scale

    hymenoptera  apidae  Apis mellifera  Honey Bee
      halictidae  Augochloropsis metallica  Green Sweat Bee
      megachilidae  Megachile exilis  Slender Resin Bee
      vespidae  Polistes exclamans  Paper Wasp
      braconidae  Aleiodes sp.  Braconid Wasp (pupa)
      cynipidae  Belonocnema treatae  Leaf Gall (larva)

    diptera  syrphidae  Allograpta obliqua  Flower Fly
        Toxomerus marginatus  Flower Fly
        Dioprosopa clavata  Flower Fly
        Palpada vinetorum  Flower Fly
      tachinidae  Microphthalma disjuncta  Tachinid Fly
      sarcophagidae  Unknown sp.  Flesh Fly
      calliphoridae  Lucilia sp.  Blow Fly
      dolichopodidae  Condylostylus sp.  Long-legged Fly
      limoniidae  Limonia sp.  Crane Fly
      culicidae  Anopheles punctipennis  Mosquito

    orthoptera  acrididae  Melanoplus plebejus  Plebeian Grasshopper
        Melanoplus femurrubrum  Red-legged Grasshopper
        Melanoplus ponderosus  Ponderous Grasshopper
        Melanoplus differentialis  Differential Grasshopper
        Schistocerca nitens  Gray Bird Grasshopper (adult & nymph)
        Eritettix abortivus  Texas Short-winged Slant-faced Grasshopper
        Syrbula admirabilis  Handsome Grasshopper
        Encoptolophus subgracilis  Southwestern Dusky Grasshopper
      gryllidae  Oecanthus sp.  Tree Cricket (adult & nymph)
        Oecanthus celerinictus  Fast-calling Tree Cricket

    mantodea  mantidae  Stagmomantis carolina  Carolina Mantis (adult & eggs)
      thespidae  Oligonicella scudderi  Scudder's Mantis

    isoptera  termitidae  Tenuirostritermes sp.  Nasutiform Termite (alate)

    neuroptera  chrysopidae  Chrysoperla sp.  Green Lacewing (adult & larva)

    mecoptera  panorpidae  Panorpa nuptialis  Scorpionfly

    araneae  araneidae  Neoscona crucifera  Orbweaver
        Neoscona oaxacensis  Orbweaver
        Argiope trifasciata  Banded Garden Spider
      tetragnathidae  Tetragnatha sp.  Longjawed Orbweaver
      salticidae  Phidippus audax  Bold Jumper
        Phidippus arizonensis  Arizona Jumper
        Eris militaris  Bronze Jumper
      oxyopidae  Peucetia viridans  Green Lynx (adult & egg sac)
      thomisidae  Mecaphesa sp.  Crab Spider
        Xysticus sp.  Crab Spider
      corinnidae  Trachelas sp.  Spider
      miturgidae  Cheiracanthium inclusum  Sac Spider
      lycosidae  Rabidosa rabida  Rabid Wolf Spider
      pholcidae  Holocnemus pluchei  Marbled Cellar Spider

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  ABC > Home > THE FAUNA PROJECT > Survey October 25, 2018