It was cold and sunny as thirteen volunteers contributed to this last survey of the year. Butterflies are solar-powered and, when the air temperature is low, often position their wings to direct as much heat as possible to their flight muscles. Note below how some spread their wings open while others fold their wings up but have darker markings down near their body. Of the examples shown, only the Eufala Skipper can hold all four of its wings at different angles. Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings: Eurema nicippe (sleepy orange) photo by George Ward Nathalis iole (dainty sulphur) photo by Joe Fernandes Pontia protodice (checkered white) photo by Sam Fruehling Lerodea eufala (eufala skipper) photo by George Ward Pyrgus communis/albescens (common/white checkered-skipper) photo by George Ward Pyrgus philetas (desert checkered-skipper) photo by Sam Fruehling Libytheana carinenta (American snout) photo by Sam Fruehling Euptoieta claudia (variegated fritillary) photo by Bill Boyd Vanessa cardui (painted lady) photo by Harriett Wolf Agraulis vanillae (gulf fritillary) photo by Joe Fernandes Panorpa nuptialis (scorpionfly, male) photo by Joe Fernandes Cynomya cadaverina (bluebottle fly) photo by Val Bugh Eritettix abortivus (Texas short-winged slant-faced grasshopper) photo by Sam Fruehling Mecidea major (grass stink bug: adult & nymph) photo by Val Bugh Agelaius phoeniceus (red-winged blackbirds, females) photo by Bill Boyd Zenaida macroura (mourning dove) photo by George Ward Coragyps atratus (black vulture) photo by Joe Fernandes Forcipomyia sp. & Unknown sp. (biting midge & gall wasp) photo by Val Bugh Tenuirostritermes sp. (nasutiform termites: nymph & adult soldiers & workers) photo by Val Bugh Sminthurus sp. (globular springtail) photo by Val Bugh Birds: American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) American Robin (Turdus migratorius) Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii) Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus) Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) Blue-headed Vireo (Vireo solitarius) Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) Common Raven (Corvus corax) Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla) Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca) Harris's Sparrow (Zonotrichia querula) House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria) Lincoln's Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii) Meadowlark (Sturnella sp.) Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus) Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus) White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica) Woodhouse's Scrub-jay (Aphelocoma woodhouseii) Yellow-rumped Warbler (Dendroica coronata) Mammals: White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) Coyote (Canis latrans), fresh scat Misc.: Julid Millipede (Aniulus sp.) Stone Centipede (Unknown sp.) Globular Springtail (Sminthurus sp.) Insects & Spiders: order family genus/species common name lepidoptera   nymphalidae   Agraulis vanillae   Gulf Fritillary       Euptoieta claudia   Variegated Fritillary       Danaus gilippus   Queen (adult & larva)       Vanessa cardui   Painted Lady       Vanessa atalanta   Red Admiral       Libytheana carinenta   American Snout    pieridae   Eurema nicippe   Sleepy Orange       Colias eurytheme   Orange Sulphur       Nathalis iole   Dainty Sulphur       Phoebis sennae   Cloudless Sulphur       Pontia protodice   Checkered White    lycaenidae   Hemiargus isola   Reakirt's Blue (adult & larva)       Hemiargus ceraunus   Ceraunus Blue    hesperiidae   Pyrgus philetas   Desert Checkered-skipper       Pyrgus communis/albescens   Common/White Checkered-skipper       Lerodea eufala   Eufala Skipper    noctuidae   Spodoptera ornithogalli   Yellow-striped Armyworm (larva)       Mythimna unipuncta   Armyworm (adult & larva)       Rachiplusia ou   Gray Looper (larva)    geometridae   Digrammia pallidata   Moth       Iridopsis defectaria   Brown-shaded Gray Moth       Costaconvexa centrostrigaria   Bent-line Carpet    crambidae   Udea rubigalis   Celery Leaftier Moth    plutellidae   Plutella xylostella   Diamondback Moth coleoptera   chrysomelidae   Diabrotica undecimpunctata   Spotted Cucumber Beetle    carabidae   Notiophilus sp.   Ground Beetle    tenebrionidae   Asiopus aciculatus   Darkling Beetle       Bothrotes canaliculatus   Darkling Beetle    attelabidae   Haplorhynchites sp.   Flower Weevil hemiptera   rhopalidae   Niesthrea louisianica   Scentless Plant Bug    miridae   Polymerus basalis   Plant Bug    pentatomidae   Mecidea major   Grass Stink Bug (adult & nymph)       Thyanta custator   Stink Bug homoptera   cicadellidae   Balclutha neglecta   Leafhopper hymenoptera   apidae   Apis mellifera   Honey Bee    halictidae   Halictus ligatus   Furrow Bee    formicidae   Solenopsis invicta   Imported Fire Ant       Camponotus festinatus   Carpenter Ant    cynipidae   Unknown sp.   Gall Wasp diptera   syrphidae   Copestylum avidum   Flower Fly       Copestylum marginatum   Flower Fly       Copestylum mexicanum   Black Flower Fly    calliphoridae   Cynomya cadaverina   Bluebottle Fly    sarcophagidae   Unknown sp.   Flesh Fly    anthomyiidae   Unknown sp.   Root Maggot Fly    ceratopogonidae   Forcipomyia bipunctata   Biting Midge       Forcipomyia sp.   Biting Midge    cecidomyiidae   Unknown sp.   Gall Midge orthoptera   acrididae   Melanoplus differentialis   Differential Grasshopper       Melanoplus femurrubrum   Red-legged Grasshopper       Melanoplus flabellatus   Dallas Short-winged Grasshopper       Syrbula admirabilis   Handsome Grasshopper       Eritettix abortivus   Texas Short-winged Slant-faced Grasshopper       Lactista aztecus   Aztec Bandwing       Chortophaga viridifasciata   Northern Green-striped Grasshopper (nymph)       Arphia simplex   Plains Yellow-winged Grasshopper       Trimerotropis pallidipennis   Pallid-winged Grasshopper    gryllidae   Gryllus sp.   Field Cricket (nymph)    tetrigidae   Paratettix mexicanus   Pygmy Grasshopper isoptera   termitidae   Tenuirostritermes sp.   Nasutiform Termite neuroptera   chrysopidae   Chrysoperla rufilabris   Green Lacewing mecoptera   panorpidae   Panorpa nuptialis   Scorpionfly araneae   oxyopidae   Peucetia viridans   Green Lynx    dictynidae   Dictyna sp.   Meshweb Weaver    lycosidae   Schizocosa sp.   Wolf Spider