Wildlife of Proto-Town/Bugs

Wildlife guide: Overview · Plants · Fungi · Animals · Birds · Bugs · Microbial life

“Bugs” is used here in the everyday sense and includes insects, spiders, ticks, and scorpions. Most small arthropods are harmless or beneficial; avoid handling an unfamiliar specimen solely to obtain a closer identification.

Red imported fire ant

Red imported fire ant

Type	Insect; ant
Scientific name	Solenopsis invicta
Texan regional name	Fire ant
Origin	Introduced; invasive
Conservation status	Regulated pest; not endangered
Hazard	PAINFUL OR SIGNIFICANT DANGER Workers swarm and sting repeatedly, producing burning pain and sterile pustules; large numbers of stings can be medically serious.

Red imported fire ants build loose-soil mounds, often without an obvious central opening, in lawns, roadsides, pastures, and electrical equipment. Colonies respond rapidly when a mound is disturbed and harm native wildlife as well as people and livestock.

Encounter guidance: Step away quickly, brush ants off, and wash the area. Do not rupture pustules. Call 911 for breathing difficulty, throat swelling, faintness, or other signs of a severe allergic reaction; use an established integrated pest-management program for colonies.

Southern black widow

Southern black widow

Type	Arachnid; cobweb spider
Scientific name	Latrodectus mactans
Texan regional name	Black widow
Origin	Native
Conservation status	Not federally listed
Ecological or economic value	BENEFICIAL Predates insects and other arthropods; the ecological value does not reduce the medical importance of avoiding its web retreats.
Hazard	PAINFUL OR SIGNIFICANT DANGER Venom affects the nervous system and can cause severe muscle cramping, abdominal or chest pain, sweating, and nausea.

Adult females are glossy dark spiders that often have a red hourglass on the underside of the abdomen. They build irregular, strong webs in sheltered undisturbed spaces such as meter boxes, stored materials, crawl spaces, and outdoor furniture. They do not pursue people and usually bite only when trapped or pressed.

Encounter guidance: Do not reach into a web or blind cavity with bare hands. For a suspected bite, wash the site and contact Poison Control or a clinician promptly; call 911 for severe symptoms.

Brown recluse

Brown recluse

Type	Arachnid; recluse spider
Scientific name	Loxosceles reclusa
Texan regional name	Brown recluse; fiddleback
Origin	Native
Conservation status	Not federally listed
Ecological or economic value	BENEFICIAL Predates insects and other arthropods, although indoor concentrations still require careful professional management.
Hazard	PAINFUL OR SIGNIFICANT DANGER Bites can cause painful skin injury and, rarely, serious systemic illness. Many unrelated wounds are incorrectly blamed on this spider.

Brown recluses are plain tan-brown spiders with six eyes arranged in three pairs; the often-mentioned violin mark is not a reliable identification by itself. They favor dry, dark, rarely disturbed spaces in boxes, closets, sheds, and stored materials and may become trapped against skin in clothing or bedding.

Encounter guidance: Shake out stored clothing and use gloves when moving boxes or scrap. If bitten, wash the area, photograph the spider from a safe distance if possible, and seek medical advice; do not attempt home surgery on the wound.

Texas brown tarantula

Texas brown tarantula

Type	Arachnid; tarantula
Scientific name	Aphonopelma hentzi
Texan regional name	Texas brown tarantula
Origin	Native
Conservation status	Not federally listed
Ecological or economic value	BENEFICIAL Native nocturnal predator of insects and other ground-dwelling arthropods.
Hazard	NUISANCE / USE CARE Large and intimidating but generally reluctant to bite; defensive hairs can irritate skin and eyes.

This heavy-bodied brown spider lives in burrows and hunts insects at night. Mature males may wander across roads and open ground during the warm-season mating period. Its size is conspicuous, but medically significant bites are not expected in ordinary encounters.

Encounter guidance: Do not handle or crowd it. Give it room to walk away; keep the face and eyes away from a defensive spider and wash exposed skin if irritating hairs are contacted.

Striped bark scorpion

Striped bark scorpion

Type	Arachnid; scorpion
Scientific name	Centruroides vittatus
Texan regional name	Bark scorpion; striped scorpion
Origin	Native
Conservation status	Not federally listed
Ecological or economic value	BENEFICIAL Native predator of insects and other small arthropods.
Hazard	PAINFUL OR SIGNIFICANT DANGER Sting is usually not life-threatening but can be intensely painful and cause swelling, numbness, or muscle symptoms.

The striped bark scorpion is the most frequently encountered scorpion in much of Texas. It shelters beneath bark, rocks, lumber, debris, shoes, and equipment by day and hunts small arthropods at night. Under ultraviolet light it fluoresces blue-green.

Encounter guidance: Shake out shoes and gloves and avoid placing bare hands under stored objects. For a sting, wash the area and contact Poison Control for guidance; seek urgent care for severe or spreading symptoms.

Texas kissing bug

Texas kissing bug

Type	Insect; assassin bug
Scientific name	Triatoma gerstaeckeri
Texan regional name	Kissing bug; cone-nose bug
Origin	Native
Conservation status	Not federally listed
Hazard	PAINFUL OR SIGNIFICANT DANGER Can carry Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite that causes Chagas disease. Transmission normally involves infected feces entering a bite, eye, or broken skin—not the bite alone.

This large, dark, nocturnal true bug has an elongated cone-shaped head and orange or red markings along the abdomen. It feeds on vertebrate blood and may occur near wildlife nests, kennels, porches, and buildings. Similar-looking wheel bugs and leaf-footed bugs do not share the same public-health role.

Encounter guidance: Do not crush it against bare skin. Trap it in a closed container without direct contact, clean the area, and photograph or submit it through an appropriate Texas identification program; consult a clinician or veterinarian about suspected exposure.

Lone star tick

Lone star tick

Type	Arachnid; hard tick
Scientific name	Amblyomma americanum
Texan regional name	Lone star tick
Origin	Native
Conservation status	Not federally listed
Hazard	PAINFUL OR SIGNIFICANT DANGER Bites can transmit ehrlichiosis and other pathogens and can trigger alpha-gal syndrome, an allergy to mammalian meat and products.

Adult females have a single pale spot on the back, while nymphs are much smaller and lack the prominent mark. Lone star ticks actively pursue hosts in brush, tall grass, and leaf litter and are common in the south-central United States.

Encounter guidance: Use repellent and perform full-body tick checks after outdoor work. Remove an attached tick promptly with fine-tipped tweezers by pulling steadily near the skin; record the date and seek medical advice if fever, rash, or other illness follows.

Southern house mosquito

Southern house mosquito

Type	Insect; mosquito
Scientific name	Culex quinquefasciatus
Texan regional name	House mosquito
Origin	Native or longstanding cosmopolitan population
Conservation status	Not federally listed
Hazard	PAINFUL OR SIGNIFICANT DANGER Some mosquitoes can transmit West Nile virus and other pathogens; an individual mosquito cannot be judged infectious by appearance.

Southern house mosquitoes are plain brown mosquitoes that breed in stagnant, nutrient-rich water and often bite from dusk through the night. Containers, clogged drains, tires, and neglected water features can produce many adults close to buildings.

Encounter guidance: Use EPA-registered repellent and protective clothing. Empty or treat standing water, maintain screens, and report unusual mosquito abundance or clusters of illness through local public-health channels.

Western honey bee

Western honey bee

Type	Insect; bee
Scientific name	Apis mellifera
Texan regional name	Honey bee
Origin	Introduced; naturalized and managed
Conservation status	Not federally endangered
Ecological or economic value	BENEFICIAL Major crop and garden pollinator with substantial agricultural and beekeeping value.
Hazard	NUISANCE / USE CARE Workers sting defensively and leave a barbed stinger; colony defense can result in many stings.

Honey bees are social pollinators that live in managed hives or cavities and visit many flowers. A compact swarm hanging from a branch is usually temporary and less defensive than an established colony, but it should still be given space.

Encounter guidance: Do not strike, spray, or disturb a swarm or colony. Move indoors or into a vehicle if many bees attack, protect the face, and call 911 for severe allergic symptoms; arrange removal through an experienced beekeeper or pest professional.

Red velvet ant

Red velvet ant

Type	Insect; wingless female wasp
Scientific name	Dasymutilla occidentalis
Texan regional name	Cow killer; velvet ant
Origin	Native
Conservation status	Not federally listed
Hazard	PAINFUL OR SIGNIFICANT DANGER Females can deliver an exceptionally painful sting, although the sting is not ordinarily fatal.

Despite the name, velvet ants are parasitoid wasps. The conspicuous red-orange and black female is wingless and walks rapidly across open ground, while males have wings. The bright color and squeaking defensive sound advertise a strong sting rather than aggression.

Encounter guidance: Do not pick it up or pin it with a shoe. Let it pass; if stung, wash the area, use basic first aid, and contact Poison Control for severe or unusual symptoms.

Monarch butterfly

Monarch butterfly

Type	Insect; butterfly
Scientific name	Danaus plexippus
Texan regional name	Monarch
Origin	Native migrant
Conservation status	Conservation concern; verify current federal listing status before management action
Ecological or economic value	BENEFICIAL Flower visitor and important conservation species whose habitat also supports many other native pollinators.
Hazard	No special hazard label

Monarchs pass through Central Texas during spring and autumn migrations. Adults are orange with black veins and borders; caterpillars are banded black, white, and yellow and feed on native milkweeds. The insects store milkweed toxins that deter many predators, but ordinary observation is harmless to people.

Bold jumping spider

Bold jumping spider

Type	Arachnid; jumping spider
Scientific name	Phidippus audax
Texan regional name	Bold jumper; jumping spider
Origin	Native
Conservation status	Not federally listed
Ecological or economic value	BENEFICIAL Active daytime predator of flies, moths, and other insects around vegetation and structures.
Hazard	No special hazard label

The bold jumper is a compact, alert hunting spider with large forward-facing eyes, black-and-white markings, and often iridescent green or blue mouthparts. It does not build a prey-catching web; instead it stalks flies, moths, and other insects and pounces with a short jump while trailing a safety line of silk. Bites are uncommon and are not considered medically significant.

Encounter guidance: Let it hunt. If one must be moved, offer a cup rather than handling or swatting it; jumping spiders can bite defensively if trapped against skin.

Texas June beetle

Texas June beetle

Type	Insect; scarab beetle
Scientific name	Phyllophaga crinita
Texan regional name	June bug; May beetle
Origin	Native
Conservation status	Not federally listed
Hazard	NUISANCE / USE CARE Adults are clumsy nuisance fliers around lights; the white-grub larvae can damage turf and plant roots. They do not sting and are not dangerous to people.

This brown June beetle is one of many Phyllophaga species called June bugs in Texas. Adults emerge on warm nights, feed on foliage, and repeatedly collide with windows, lights, people, and machinery. The C-shaped white larvae live underground and eat roots, although only a minority of Texas May and June beetle species cause important turf damage.

Encounter guidance: Turn off unnecessary exterior lights or use less attractive lighting when adults are abundant. Diagnose grub damage before treating soil, since many harmless beetle larvae and unrelated turf problems look similar.

Green June beetle

Green June beetle

Type	Insect; scarab beetle
Scientific name	Cotinis nitida
Texan regional name	Green June bug; fig-eater
Origin	Native
Conservation status	Not federally listed
Hazard	NUISANCE / USE CARE Large, noisy, low-flying nuisance; adults can damage ripe fruit but do not sting.

Green June beetles are velvety green above, metallic beneath, and about an inch long. Adults fly during the day with a loud buzz and feed on overripe or fermenting fruit, while the large grubs usually consume decaying organic matter and characteristically crawl on their backs at the soil surface.

Encounter guidance: No defensive action is needed if one bumps into you. Cover or harvest ripe fruit and reduce exposed fermenting material if adults become numerous.

Carpenter ants

Carpenter ants

Type	Insect; ant
Scientific name	Camponotus species
Texan regional name	Carpenter ant
Origin	Native species occur in Texas
Conservation status	Not federally listed
Ecological or economic value	BENEFICIAL Outdoor colonies help break down dead wood and recycle nutrients; this does not make colonies inside structures desirable.
Hazard	NUISANCE / USE CARE Workers can bite and may apply irritating formic acid. Indoor activity can indicate damp, decayed, or repeatedly wetted wood.

Carpenter ants are large ants with a smoothly rounded thorax and workers of noticeably different sizes. They excavate galleries in softened wood for shelter but do not eat the wood as termites do. Outdoor colonies in trees and deadwood are normal; repeated trails or coarse sawdust-like debris inside a building warrant investigation for both the colony and the moisture source.

Encounter guidance: Do not spray a few visible workers and assume the problem is solved. Trace activity, correct leaks or wet wood, and use an identification or pest professional when a structural nest is suspected.

Carolina paper wasp

Carolina paper wasp

Type	Insect; social paper wasp
Scientific name	Polistes carolina
Texan regional name	Red wasp; red paper wasp
Origin	Native
Conservation status	Not federally listed
Ecological or economic value	BENEFICIAL Adults visit flowers and colonies capture caterpillars and other insects for their larvae.
Hazard	PAINFUL OR SIGNIFICANT DANGER Can sting repeatedly when its nest is disturbed. Stings are painful and may cause significant swelling; many stings or a severe allergic reaction require emergency care.

This is the conspicuous reddish-brown to orange-red wasp with smoky black wings often called a red wasp in Texas. Colonies build exposed, umbrella-shaped paper combs beneath eaves, roofs, equipment, branches, and other sheltered surfaces. Adults hunt caterpillars and other insects and are useful predators, but workers defend the nest and the space immediately around it.

Encounter guidance: Away from a nest, leave the wasp alone and do not swat at it. Near a nest, back away slowly, keep people and animals clear, and mark or restrict the area. Have a trained pest professional handle nests in doorways, work areas, vehicles, or other high-traffic locations. Call 911 for trouble breathing, throat or tongue swelling, faintness, widespread hives, or numerous stings.

New World screwworm fly

New World screwworm fly

Type	Insect; blow fly and obligate parasite
Scientific name	Cochliomyia hominivorax
Texan regional name	New World screwworm; primary screwworm
Origin	Native to the tropical and subtropical Americas; historically eradicated from the United States but detected again in Texas in 2026
Conservation status	Federally and state-reportable animal-health emergency; controlled laboratory population at Proto-Town
Hazard	CAN BE FATAL IF UNTREATED Larvae feed on the living tissue of warm-blooded animals and people. Untreated infestations can cause severe tissue destruction, secondary infection, and death. A missing laboratory specimen, breached enclosure, or uncontained laboratory life stage is a serious biosecurity incident.

Adults are metallic blue-green blow flies with three dark stripes on the thorax, but visual identification of an adult is unreliable because several harmless flies look similar. The most important field sign is a rapidly worsening, painful, foul-smelling wound containing eggs or maggots. At Proto-Town this species is present only under authorized controlled laboratory conditions for sterile-insect research; no laboratory egg, larva, pupa, or adult should be loose elsewhere on campus. Texas has also recorded wild New World screwworm detections in 2026, and government sterile-fly releases may occur, so an outdoor adult fly is not by itself proof of a Proto-Town escape. A credible lab-linked sighting, missing count, damaged container, or containment failure must nevertheless be treated as an emergency until ruled out.

Encounter guidance: Do not handle, crush, chase, release, or casually discard a suspected specimen. Follow the emergency checklist below. Do not rely on a photograph alone to identify an adult fly.

UNCONTAINED NEW WORLD SCREWWORM OR A LABORATORY CONTAINMENT FAILURE IS A BIOSECURITY EMERGENCY

This checklist applies to a missing laboratory organism, damaged enclosure, uncontained laboratory life stage, credible lab-linked sighting, or other suspected containment failure. A casual sighting of an unidentified metallic fly outdoors is not confirmation of New World screwworm; many flies look alike, and an actual adult could be a harmless sterile release. Do not create a public alarm from visual identification alone, but do not delay the laboratory incident response or required reporting.

Immediate actions

Stop work immediately. Do not touch, chase, swat, crush, collect, spray, vacuum, or release the organism unless the approved containment-escape procedure specifically assigns that action to trained personnel.
Warn people in the immediate area and restrict entry. Close interior doors and keep people and animals away. Do not open exterior doors or windows or improvise airflow changes unless the laboratory procedure directs it.
Freeze movement from the affected area. Do not move animals, cages, cultures, specimens, waste, laundry, tools, personal protective equipment, vehicles, packages, or other material out of the area.
Notify the laboratory principal investigator or supervisor and the designated biosafety, environmental-health-and-safety, and site incident leads at once. Activate the approved containment-escape and emergency-communication procedures.
Only trained, authorized personnel should attempt capture or containment. Untrained witnesses should maintain a safe boundary and, if possible without approaching, record photographs or video and the direction of travel.
Do not improvise pesticides, fumigation, heating, freezing, or decontamination. These may spread organisms, destroy evidence, expose people, or conflict with the approved containment plan.
Record the facts. Note the exact time and location, life stage, estimated number, direction of movement, open doors or windows, ventilation status, nearby people and animals, and every material or person that left the area. Preserve camera footage, access logs, and relevant work records.
Reconcile the laboratory inventory. Account for every organism and container. Record sex, life stage, strain, irradiation or sterilization record, and reproductive potential. Never assume a loose organism is sterile without confirming the records.
Protect animals. Stop movement of resident dogs, the resident cat, livestock, research animals, and potentially exposed wildlife. Under veterinary direction, examine them for wounds, eggs, maggots, unusual odor, pain, or agitation. Cover suspicious wounds and prevent licking; do not remove larvae yourself.
Protect people. Anyone with larvae or eggs in a wound, or possible exposure involving the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, or genitals, needs urgent medical evaluation. Do not self-remove larvae. Tell the clinician that New World screwworm exposure is possible and that the incident may require immediate public-health reporting.
Preserve specimens and evidence. Never put live eggs, larvae, pupae, or flies in trash, drains, compost, or outdoors. Follow the responsible veterinarian, clinician, biosafety lead, or government official's directions for secure collection and chain of custody. For a suspected human case, CDC advises placing any eggs or larvae that fall out in a leakproof container with 70% ethanol or isopropyl alcohol.

Report and coordinate immediately

Texas Animal Health Commission (livestock or companion animals): call the veterinarian on call at 1-800-550-8242. Texas requires suspected New World screwworm in animals to be reported; do not wait for definitive identification.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (wildlife): call 512-389-4505.
USDA APHIS: use the USDA reporting guidance and email screwworm@usda.gov for coordination or questions. Follow any additional laboratory permit or regulatory notification requirements.
Human exposure or illness: obtain urgent clinical care and notify the local or state health department. Clinicians may contact CDC at 404-718-4745 during business hours or the CDC Emergency Operations Center at 770-488-7100 after hours. Diagnostic questions and specimen images may be sent to dpdx@cdc.gov.
Route external communications through the designated incident lead so authorities receive accurate, consistent information, but never delay a mandatory report while waiting for communications approval.
Do not resume work or release people, animals, equipment, or waste from restriction until the responsible incident lead and applicable authorities provide clearance. Document every notification, instruction, containment action, specimen transfer, corrective action, and the final clearance.

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