It is an unusual color in nature, really rare. And now a new species of arachnid with this coloration has been found. The electric blue tarantula fascinates with its appearance. Where was he found? In a mangrove forest in the Thai province of Phang-Nga, in the south of the country.
«The first specimen we found was in a mangrove tree. These tarantulas live in hollow trees. Where is the difficulty in catching the electric blue tarantula? “It lies in the need to climb a tree and attract it out of a complex of holes in the middle of the humidity.” This is explained by Narin Chomphuphuang, from Khon Kaen University, whose finding has been published in the journal ZooKeys.
rare color
“The secret behind our tarantula’s vivid blue coloration does not lie in the presence of blue pigments. It’s actually in the unique structure of your hair. “It incorporates nanostructures that manipulate light to create this striking blue appearance,” she said.
Blue is one of the rarest colors that appear in nature. This makes the blue coloration in animals particularly fascinating. To appear blue, an object needs to absorb very small amounts of energy while reflecting high-energy blue light. Generating molecules capable of absorbing this energy is complex. This makes blue in nature relatively rare. What is even more fascinating is its ability to display not only blue but also a beautiful violet hue. Thus, an extraordinary iridescent effect is created.
Living in trees
“This species was previously found on the commercial tarantula market. There it was known as ‘Chilobrachys sp. electric blue tarantula’, but there was no documentation describing its distinctive characteristics or its natural habitat,” Narin said.
The electric blue tarantula demonstrates remarkable adaptability. These tarantulas can thrive in both arboreal and terrestrial burrows in evergreen forests. However, when it comes to mangrove forests, their habitat is limited. It must reside within the hollows of the trees due to the influence of the tides.
