Latrodectus mactans (Fabricius, 1775)

Dean, David Allen, 2016, Catalogue of Texas spiders, ZooKeys 570, pp. 1-703 : 380-381

Latrodectus mactans (Fabricius, 1775)

Latrodectus mactans Agnew et al. 1985: 3, 5; Breene and Sweet 1985: 332; Breene et al. 1993b: 648; Breene et al. 1993c: 27, 48, 56-57, mf (figs 23A-B, 24A-B); Brown 1974: 238; Calixto et al. 2013: 184; Cokendolpher 1993: 39; Dean and Sterling 1987: 6; Dean and Sterling 1990: 401, 404; Dean and Sterling 1992: 3-4; Dean et al. 1982: 254; Dean et al. 1988: 285-286; Gertsch 1939b: 24; Jackman 1997: 54, 56, desc., 169 (photo 18f); Jones 1936: 69; Kagan 1942: 17; Kagan 1943: 258; Kaston 1970: 37 [S], mf, desc. (figs 2, 3, 4a, 4c, 5, 12, 13a-d, g, i, k); Kaston 1972: 101, desc. (figs 225-227); Kaston 1978: 100, desc. (figs 243-245); Levi 1959c: 24, mf, desc. (figs 1, 5-7, 15, 19-21, 53-67, 72-79); Levi 1967: 185; Milstead 1958: 445; Nyffeler and Sterling 1994: 1295, 1298; Nyffeler et al. 1986: 200; Nyffeler et al. 1987c: 370; Nyffeler et al. 1988a: 55; Nyffeler et al. 1992a: 1181; Reddell 1964: 37; Reddell 1965: 177; Reddell 1967: 34, 54; Reddell 1970: 408; Reddell 1973: 41; Reddell and Cokendolpher 2004: 93; Rogers and Horner 1977: 523; Taber and Fleenor 2003: 237; Vogel 1970b: 24; Young and Edwards 1990: 23; Zhang et al. 2004: 349 [ Levi 1967: 185, mf (figs 60-62)]

Latrodectus mactans mactans Fabricius, 1775; Chamberlin and Ivie 1935a: 13, mf, desc. (figs 2, 5, 19-20, 22); Keegan 1955: 148; Vogel 1970b: 24

Theridium lineamentum McCook, 1879; Banks 1910: 24

Distribution.

Widespread; Bailey, Bexar, Brazos, Brewster, Brown, Burnet, Cameron, Childress, Clay, Comal, Comanche, Coryell, Dallam, Dallas, Edwards, Erath, Frio, Hardeman, Harris, Hidalgo, Houston, Jack, Kimble, Lamar, Limestone, Lubbock, McLennan, Medina, Nacogdoches, Presidio, Randall, Robertson, San Jacinto, San Patricio, San Saba, Shelby, Stonewall, Sutton, Terrell, Travis, Walker, Webb, Wichita, Williamson, Wise

Locality.

Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park, Bill Haney Pecan Orchard, Blackstone Ranch, Camp Arrowmoon, Chisos Basin, Chisos Mountains, Ellis Prison Unit, Holmes Pecan Orchard, Inks Lake State Park, La Mota Mountains, Lick Creek Park, Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge, Stiles Farm Foundation, Welder Wildlife Refuge

Caves.

Bexar (Strange Little Cave); Childress (Black Hand Cave); Comal (Little Brehmmer-Heidrich Cave); Edwards (Punkin Cave); Hardeman (Short Cave); Medina (Ney Cave, Weynand Cave); Randall (Big Rock Cave); San Saba (Dove Cave); Stonewall (Aspermont Bat Cave)

Time of activity.

Male (March - September, November); female (February - December)

Habitat.

(crops: cotton, guar, peanuts, sugarcane); (grass: grassland); (landscape features: cave, under stones); (nest/prey: mud dauber nest [mf], stomach of Cnemidophorus perplexus , stomach of Cnemidophorus sacki , stomach of Cnemidophorus tessellatus ); (orchard: pecan); (plants: vegetation); (soil/woodland: clay soil brushland, hackberry woodland, live oak woodland, post oak savanna, post oak savanna with pasture, sandy brushland, sandy open prairie, tree, Quercus virginiana ); (structures: barn, base of building, roof, storeroom, under porch, top of cellar doorway near entrance, warehouse)

Method.

Beating [m]; beating/sweeping [m]; cardboard band [imm.]; D-Vac suction [m]; pitfall trap [mf]; suction trap [m]; sweeping [m]

Type.

America

Etymology.

Latin, unfavorable behavior, dangerous

Collection.

DMNS, JCC, MSU, TAMU, TMM, TTU