The weather was hot and sunny as ten participants completed this week's survey. The most distinctive feature of some bees, ants and wasps is the sting. Normally hidden from view until deployed, this effective tool is present only on female hymenoptera; it evolved as a modified ovipositor and only females lay eggs. The example shown below is the sting that injects venom to paralyze a cicada, the wasp's larval food. Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings: Alaus lusciosus (click beetle) photo by Val Bugh Pasimachus californicus (ground beetle) photo by Val Bugh Cylas formicarius (sweet potato weevil) photo by Val Bugh Sphecius speciosus (cicada killer) photo by Val Bugh Pepsis sp. (spider wasp) photo by Barbara Ribble Euaresta sp. (fruit fly) photo by Val Bugh Peruveleon dorsalis (antlion) photo by Val Bugh Dythemis fugax (checkered setwing) photo by Harriett Wolf Chiomara georgina (white-patched skipper) photo by Val Bugh Pyrgus communis/albescens (common/white checkered skippers) photo by Val Bugh Libytheana carinenta (American snout) photo by Barbara Ribble Xerociris wilsonii (Wilson's wood-nymph) photo by Barbara Ribble Aellopos fadus (fadus sphinx) photo by Val Bugh Pococera sp. (moth) photo by Val Bugh Systasea pulverulenta (Texas powdered-skipper larva) photo by Val Bugh Oligotoma sp. (webspinner) photo by Val Bugh Diapheromera velii (prairie walking stick) photo by Val Bugh Hydrometra sp. (marsh treader) photo by Val Bugh Zelus renardii (assassin bug eating shield bug) photo by Barbara Ribble Peucetia viridans (green lynx eating honey bee) photo by Harriett Wolf Birds: Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii) Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri) Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica) Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria) Mourning Dove (Chaetura pelagica) Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) Purple Martin (Progne subis) Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) Upland Sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda) White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus) White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica) Mammals: Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger) White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus), fresh tracks Reptiles & Amphibians: Texas Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus olivaceus) Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis) Texas Spotted Whiptail (Cnemidophorus gularis gularis) Redstripe Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis proximus rubrilineatus) Rough Green Snake (Opheodrys aestivus) Texas Map Turtle (Graptemys versa) Rio Grande Leopard Frog (Rana berlandieri) Misc.: Harvestman (Leiobunum sp.) Insects & Spiders: order family genus/species common name lepidoptera   nymphalidae   Agraulis vanillae   Gulf Fritillary (adult & larva)       Danaus gilippus   Queen       Libytheana carinenta   American Snout       Anaea andria   Goatweed Leafwing    lycaenidae   Strymon melinus   Gray Hairstreak       Hemiargus isola   Reakirt's Blue    papilionidae   Battus philenor   Pipevine Swallowtail       Papilio cresphontes   Giant Swallowtail (adult & larva)    pieridae   Eurema lisa   Little Yellow       Eurema nicippe   Sleepy Orange       Phoebis sennae   Cloudless Sulphur    hesperiidae   Pyrgus communis/albescens   Common/White Checkered-skipper       Pyrgus philetas   Desert Checkered-skipper       Systasea pulverulenta   Texas Powdered-skipper (adult & larva)       Erynnis horatius   Horace's Duskywing       Chiomara georgina   White-patched Skipper       Chioides albofasciatus   White-striped Longtail    noctuidae   Bagisara rectifascia   Straight-lined Mallow Moth (larva)       Xerociris wilsonii   Wilson's Wood-nymph    sphingidae   Hemaris diffinis   Snowberry Clearwing       Aellopos fadus   Fadus Sphinx       Manduca sexta   Carolina Sphinx (larva)    geometridae   Iridopsis defectaria   Brown-shaded Gray Moth       Eumacrodes yponomeutaria   Moth    pyralidae   Pococera sp.   Moth    tortricidae   Cochylis sp.   Moth       Pelochrista metariana   Leafroller Moth    oecophoridae   Inga cretacea   Chalky Inga       Inga obscuromaculella   Moth coleoptera   chrysomelidae   Asphaera lustrans   Flea Beetle       Cryptocephalus leucomelas   Leaf Beetle    coccinellidae   Harmonia axyridis   Multi-colored Asian Lady Beetle    cerambycidae   Sternidius mimeticus   Longhorn Beetle    elateridae   Melanotus sp.   Click Beetle       Alaus lusciosus   Click Beetle    tenebrionidae   Eleodes goryi   Darkling Beetle    carabidae   Pasimachus californicus   Ground Beetle    brentidae   Cylas formicarius   Sweet Potato Weevil hemiptera   coreidae   Acanthocephala terminalis   Coreid Bug (adult & nymph)       Hypselonotus punctiventris   Coreid Bug (nymph)    reduviidae   Apiomerus spissipes   Bee Assassin       Arilus cristatus   Wheel Bug       Zelus renardii   Assassin Bug    rhopalidae   Niesthrea louisianica   Scentless Plant Bug (nymph)    hydrometridae   Hydrometra sp.   Marsh Treader    scutelleridae   Diolcus chrysorrhoeus   Shield Bug    pentatomidae   Cosmopepla lintneriana   Stink Bug       Chinavia hilaris   Green Stink Bug       Unknown sp.   Stink Bug (eggs) homoptera   cicadellidae   Texananus sp.   Leafhopper    cercopidae   Lepyronia quadrangularis   Spittlebug    flatidae   Metcalfa pruinosa   Citrus Planthopper hymenoptera   apidae   Apis mellifera   Honey Bee       Bombus pensylvanicus   American Bumble Bee       Xylocopa virginica   Eastern Carpenter Bee    halictidae   Augochloropsis metallica   Green Sweat Bee       Lasioglossum sp.   Sweat Bee    megachilidae   Megachile sp.   Leaf-cutter Bee    vespidae   Polistes carolina   Red Wasp       Polistes exclamans   Paper Wasp    crabronidae   Bicyrtes quadrifasciatus   Sand Wasp       Sphecius speciosus   Cicada Killer    sphecidae   Sphex ichneumoneus   Great Golden Digger Wasp       Sceliphron caementarium   Yellow-and-black Mud Dauber       Ammophila sp.   Thread-waisted Wasp    pompilidae   Pepsis sp.   Spider Wasp    formicidae   Camponotus sayi   Carpenter Ant       Pseudomyrmex gracilis   Twig Ant       Pseudomyrmex pallidus   Golden Twig Ant       Solenopsis invicta   Imported Fire Ant diptera   bombyliidae   Geron sp.   Bee Fly       Anthrax argyropygus   Bee Fly    sarcophagidae   Unknown sp.   Flesh Fly    calliphoridae   Lucilia sp.   Blow Fly    tachinidae   Unknown sp.   Tachinid Fly    tephritidae   Euaresta sp.   Fruit Fly    dolichopodidae   Condylostylus sp.   Long-legged Fly    chironomidae   Unknown sp.   Midge    culicidae   Aedes albopictus   Asian Tiger Mosquito odonata   coenagrionidae   Telebasis salva   Desert Firetail    aeshnidae   Anax junius   Common Green Darner    libellulidae   Libellula croceipennis   Neon Skimmer       Orthemis ferruginea   Roseate Skimmer       Erythemis simplicicollis   Eastern Pondhawk       Pachydiplax longipennis   Blue Dasher       Dythemis fugax   Checkered Setwing       Tramea onusta   Red Saddlebags orthoptera   acrididae   Melanoplus flabellatus   Dallas Short-winged Grasshopper       Schistocerca nitens   Gray Bird Grasshopper       Schistocerca lineata   Spotted Bird Grasshopper       Schistocerca obscura   Obscure Bird Grasshopper (adult & nymph)       Chortophaga viridifasciata   Northern Green-striped Grasshopper    tetrigidae   Paratettix mexicanus   Pygmy Grasshopper    tettigoniidae   Scudderia furcata   Fork-tailed Bush Katydid (nymph) mantodea   mantidae   Stagmomantis carolina   Carolina Mantis (nymph) phasmatodea   diapheromeridae   Diapheromera velii   Prairie Walking Stick neuroptera   myrmeleontidae   Peruveleon dorsalis   Antlion embioptera   oligotomidae   Oligotoma sp.   Webspinner araneae   araneidae   Argiope aurantia   Black and Yellow Garden Spider       Neoscona crucifera   Orbweaver       Neoscona domiciliorum   Spotted Orbweaver    uloboridae   Uloborus glomosus   Feather-legged Orbweaver    oxyopidae   Peucetia viridans   Green Lynx    theridiidae   Theridion sp.   Cobweb Spider    tetragnathidae   Tetragnatha sp.   Longjawed Orbweaver    theraphosidae   Aphonopelma sp.   Tarantula