Falconina gracilis (Keyserling, 1891)

Dean, David Allen, 2016, Catalogue of Texas spiders, ZooKeys 570, pp. 1-703 : 79

Falconina gracilis (Keyserling, 1891)

Falconina gracilis Bonaldo 2000: 79, mf, desc. (figs 36-38, 41-42, 63, 101, 215-228); Calixto et al. 2013: 181, 188-189; Henderson 2007: 61, 63, 65-66, 76, 79, 82; Irungu 2007: 30; Reddell and Cokendolpher 2004: 77; Trevino 2014: 11; Ubick and Richman 2005a: 82; Yantis 2005: 200

Corinna sp.; Jackman 1997: 162

Distribution.

Bexar, Brazoria, Brazos, Burleson, Colorado, Coryell, Fayette, Fort Bend, Goliad, Grimes, Harris, Hays, Henderson, Hidalgo, Polk, Robertson, San Patricio, Travis, Victoria, Washington, Webb, Williamson

Locality.

5-Eagle Ranch, Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge, Brazos Bend State Park, Goliad State Park, Holmes Pecan Orchard, Lick Creek Park, NK Ranch, Somerville Lake, Stiles Farm Foundation, Welder Wildlife Refuge

Caves.

Bexar (Crownridge Canyon Cave); Travis (Five Pocket Cave)

Time of activity.

Male (January, January 26-February 22, March - November); female (January, March - November)

Habitat.

(crops: cabbage, cotton); (grass: grassland); (landscape features: cave); (nest/prey: pocket gopher burrows); (orchard: pecan); (soil/woodland: buckeye-sycamore forest, Juniperus unmanaged plot, open field, post oak savanna with pasture, post oak woodland, post oak woods [%: 60], sandy area, upland woods); (structures: around house, bathroom floor, in house, indoors, on floor in house)

Method.

5 gallon bucket trap [imm.]; cardboard band [mf]; flight intercept trap [m]; flight intercept trap on ground [m]; pitfall trap [mf]; tile trap [m]

Type.

Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul

Etymology.

Latin, slender

Collection.

TAMU, TMM

Note.

Ubick and Richman (2005a) noted that this species has been associated with Solenopsis invicta Buren, red imported fire ant, in Texas (page 82, Cokendolpher, pers. comm.). In a study in a post oak savanna with pasture habitat by Calixto (2008), a yearly total of Falconina and ants indicates that Falconina was most abundant in pitfall traps that contained the most Solenopsis invicta . Also the following ant genera were most abundant in traps with Falconina gracilis : Diplorhoptrum , Forelius , Monomorium , and Paratrechina . Two genera of ants, Brachymyrmex and Strumigenys , were only found in traps that contained the most Forelius gracilis . Both Strumigenys invicta and Forelius gracilis were more abundant in 2006 than 2007 at all three locations. More rain occurred in 2007 than 2006. Thanks to Alejandro Calixto for identifying the ants.