Entomologists from Thailand made a discovery of a new "electric blue" tarantula in the southern part of the country in what they are calling an "enchanting phenomenon."
The newly discovered creature is known as the Chilobrachys natanicharum and is seen as having a "blue-violet hue" that resembles the color of electrical sparks. Researchers from the Entomology Museum at Khon Kaen University and the Natural History Museum of the National Science Museum published a paper announcing the finding.
Newly-Discovered Spider Species
In a statement, the researchers said that the animal's blue coloration is a fascinating and relatively rare instance in the natural world. Blue color in tarantulas is a unique instance of structural colors that evolved independently at least eight different times.
The name of the newly-discovered species was chosen in a nationwide auction and the creature was named after the executives of Nichada Properties Co. Ltd., a real estate company. Photographs of the new creature showed that the spider has blue-purple hair on its legs and its body, as per CBS News.
The coloring on the creature's legs is "unique" and "iridescent," said the researchers. Scientists said that female spiders and young male spiders of the same species have "more violet than metallic-blue hairs. Male spiders have a bright blue color that is more prominent. However, females typically have less intense coloring.
The researchers also noted that the newly-discovered animal seems to reside within Thailand's southern mangrove forests. The spiders were found to live within tree hollows in the area and are also believed to live in evergreen forests.
Unfortunately, the habitat of the newly discovered spider is in danger due to habitat destruction and the hunting of tarantulas. All the tarantulas in the country are considered to be controlled wildlife and researchers emphasized the need to conserve and protect the species as well as their habitats.
The researchers noted that tarantulas are known for having unique patches of bristle-like hairs that create stridulation organs. When the animals rub these organs against surfaces, they produce a noise that is used to communicate with other tarantulas, according to the Miami Herald.
Rare and Unique Phenomenon
The male tarantulas were also meticulously cataloged by the researchers, who recorded them as having a size range of roughly 1.51 to 2.19 inches while their female versions measured between 2.24 and 2.66 inches.
The carapaces of the creatures also had a distinction between genders, as males had jet-black colors while females had a mix of metallic-blue and violet hairs. The Chilobrachys genus also possesses extraordinary thorn-like setae, which are aptly named "strikers," comprising their stridulating apparatus.
Prior to the finding in the wild, the species was only known to experts through the commercial tarantula trade market, said The Thaiger.
There was also another type of spider that was discovered earlier this year, a new and rare "giant" trapdoor spider species. This creature was found in Australia, a finding that was announced by the Queensland Museum Network.
Scientists discovered the massive creature in the Brigalow Belt located in central Queensland and named it Euplos dignitas. It comes from the Latin word dignitas, which means dignity or greatness that the museum said reflects the creature's impressive size and nature.
