Real Estate Moguls Win Naming Rights to New Species of Electric-Blue Tarantulas Discovered in Thailand
A research team in southern Thailand has discovered a new species of tarantula with a dazzling feature they describe as “a blue-violet hue resembling the color of electrical sparks.”
Among the 900 or so species of tarantulas, very few have much color at all. How could a three-inch specimen sporting electric-blue duds have escaped the notice of biologists for so long? One reason is that this guy lives in seclusion.
“These tarantulas inhabit hollow trees,” explained arachnologist Narin Chomphuphuang. “And the difficulty of catching an electric-blue tarantula lies in the need to climb a tree and lure it out of a complex of hollows amid humid and slippery conditions. During our expedition, we walked in the evening and at night during low tide, managing to collect only two of them.”
The team filmed their expedition; this clip shows the new spider as well as some of the difficult conditions they encountered along the way. They published their discovery in the journal Zookeys.
The color blue rarely appears in nature. The vivid coloration of the new tarantula is not caused by blue pigment in its endoskeleton, but rather “in the unique structure of their hair, which incorporates nanostructures that manipulate light to create this striking blue appearance,” Chomphuphuang explained. It’s iridescent, like a peacock’s feathers.
The new species is called Chilobrachys natanicharum, so dubbed because a couple of Thai real estate moguls named Natakorn and Nichada won an auction to name the spider. Apparently anything can be monetized these days, but at least the auction proceeds will go to support healthcare and education for the Lahu, an Indigenous group in southern Thailand.
Photo credit: Yuranan Nanthaisong
