New Species: Tarantula with Mesmerizing Electric Blue Hair in Thailand Mangrove Named After Charity Auction Winners

In a Thai mangrove, a new species of tarantula with captivating blue hair was found. It was given the victors of a charity auction as its name.

New Species: Tarantula With Blue Hair

A new species of tarantula with a blue-violet coloring that resembles electrical sparks, according to biologists, has been found in Thailand.

The number of species in the genus Chilobrachys has increased to 32 thanks to the discovery of this new species of tarantula in a mangrove in Thailand's Phang-Nga region. The team matched the new species to other closely related species by measuring and dissecting the specimen.

According to the study, the tarantula possesses metallic blue and violet hairs on its legs, chelicerae, and top of its carapace. They contend that even though the blue color is uncommon in nature and typically results from photonic nanostructures rather than a pigment, it has independently evolved up to eight in tarantula species. Iran just discovered a brand-new species of tarantula with golden hair.

Exciting Discovery

This is the first species of tarantula to be discovered in a mangrove environment in Thailand.

The first specimen, according to researcher Dr. Narin Chomphuphuang, was discovered on a tree in the mangrove jungle. The challenge in catching an electric-blue tarantula is having to climb a tree and lure it out of a series of hollows in slick, humid weather. These tarantulas live in hollow trees. We only managed to gather two different kinds of tarantula throughout our journey because the team had to trek at low tide in the evening and at night.

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Naming a Discovery in Thailand

An auction campaign was held to decide the new name for this remarkable species in order to raise money for the Lahu children's education in Thailand. The Lahu people are an indigenous hill tribe, and because of poverty, many of their children are unable to attend school.

The goal was to break the cycle of poverty by raising money by auctioning off the opportunity to name the new species and using the proceeds to improve the children's access to school. The auction's revenues were also utilized to support cancer patients.

The new species is known as Chilobrachys natanicharum sp. nov., a combination of the names of the auction winners Natakorn Changrew and Nichada Changrew.

Blue Tarantula: Chilobrachys Natanicharum sp. nov.

According to the study, the new tarantula dwells inside tree hollows in mangrove areas where it is common. Additionally, according to the experts, this species can reside on land in burrows. They inhabit a variety of altitudes, ranging from sea level to 187 feet.

The team emphasizes how the killing of this species along with other tarantula species, combined with the deterioration of their environment, has decimated their populations throughout Thailand. They contend that to stop additional decreases, ecosystems and species need to be conserved, and enhanced monitoring procedures are also necessary.

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