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Padre Island National Seashore Malaquite Pavilion and Visitor Center in November 2002
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Insects, Spiders, Centipedes, Millipedes
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Found by Mr. Peter Rochau, visitor to the National Seashore.

Male Black Witch (Ascalapha odorata) found at the Malaquite Visitors Center in November 2004 NPS Photo by Phil Slattery

Butterflies

The butterfly checklist below is current as of May 30, 2003 with 3 newly discovered species listed as nos. 40-42. Several species have been identified as new county records for Kleberg and Kenedy counties. Except as noted, each of the following butterfly species has been field identified and the park’s Resource Management division has a male and female of each species in its collection. Because field identification is sometimes difficult, a second source is verifying the identity of each species. Once the park’s butterfly study has been completed, a digital field guide of Padre Island butterflies will be available to the public. Note that the name of the park’s most common Buckeye (J. evarete) has been changed from Mangrove Buckeye (genoveva) to Tropical Buckeye (evarete) due to recent corrections in the taxonomic literature.

Scientific Name Common Name
1. Erynnis horatius Horaces Duskywing
2. Erynnis tristis Mournful Duskywing
3. Hylephila phyleus Fiery Skipper
4. Wallengrenia otho Southern Broken Dash
5. Amblyscirtes celia Celia's Roadside Skipper
6. Lerodea eufala Eufala Skipper
7. Panoquina ocola Ocola Skipper
8. Panoquina panaquinoides Obscure Skipper
9. Battus philenor Pipevine Swallowtail
10. Papilio polyxenes Black Swallowtail
11. Heraclides cresphontes Giant Swallowtail
12. Pontia protodice Checkered White
13. Ascia monuste Great Southern White
14. Colias eurytheme Orange Sulfur
15. Zerene cesonia Southern Dogface
16. Phoebis sennae Cloudless Sulfur
17. Phoebis sennae marcellina (winter form) Marcellina Cloudless
18. Phoebis agarithe Large Orange Sulfur
19. Eurema lisa Little Yellow
20. Nathalis iole Dainty Sulfur
21. Ministrymon clytie Clytie Ministreak
22. Calycopis isobeon Dusky Blue Groundstreak
23. Strymon melinus Gray Hairstreak
24. Strymon istapa Istapa Hairstreak
25. Brephidium exile W. Pygmy Blue
26. Leptotes marina Marine Blue
27. Leptotes cassius Cassius Blue
28. Hemiargus isola Reakirts Blue
29. Libytheana carinenta American Snout
30. Euptoitea claudia Variegated Fritillary
31. Phyciodes phaon Phaon Crescent
32. Phyciodes tharos Pearl Crescent
33. Vanessa virginiensis American Lady
34. Vanessa cardui Painted Lady
35. Junonia coenia Common Buckeye
36. Junonia evarete Tropical Buckeye
37. Junonia nigrosuffusa Dark Buckeye
38. Danaus plexippus Monarch
39. Danaus gilippus Queen
40.  Urbanus dorantes Dorantes Longtail Skipper
41.  Phoebis philea Orange Barred Sulfur
42.  Agraulis vanillae Gulf Fritillary

Moths

The Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center of the US Geological Survey reports the following moths for each of the following counties, across which Padre Island National Seashore extends. Most do not have a common name. The names of those that do are noted.
 
Kleberg Co.
1. Eupackardia calleta Calleta silkmoth
2. Antheraea polyphemus Polyphemus moth
3. Utetheisa ornatrix (includes U. bella) Bella moth
4. Cycnia collaris
5. Ectypia bivittata
6. Ctenucha venosa
7. Cisseps fulvicollis (includes C packardii and C. Wrightii) Yellow-collared scape moth
8. Horama panthalon Texas wasp moth
9. Schinia snowii
10. Schinia citrinella
11. Schinia felicitata
12. Schinia gracilienta
13. Schinia bicuspida
14. Schinia volupia
15. Schinia regia
 
Kenedy Co.
1. Antheraea polyphemus Polyphemus moth
2. Ceratomia undulosa Waved sphinx
3. Xylophanes tersa Tersa sphinx
4. Datana diffidens
 
Willacy Co.
1. Eupackardia calleta Calleta silkmoth
2. Pachylia ficus Fig sphinx
3. Utetheisa ornatrix (includes U. bella) Bella moth
4. Lophocampa annulosa
5. Euchaetes bolteri
6. Schinia gaurae
7. Schinia ultima

Related Information

 Biota from the National Seashore's Virtual Museum
Follow this link to the Virtual Museum to see a few samples of plant and animal specimens contained in the park's museum collection.
Padre Island National Seashore Administrative History
Read the park's Administrative History for information on the background and founding of the park and to find out the reasoning behind the park's current policies and regulations.
Endangered Species in Texas
This is the US Fish and Wildlife Service page listing threatened and endangered plants and animals in Texas.

NPS Scientific Research and Collecting Permit.
This permit is required for scientific activities pertaining to natural resources or social science studies in National Park System areas that involve fieldwork, specimen collection, and/or have the potential to disturb resources or visitors.
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