Sarawak Blue Tarantula
This gorgeous spider was first discovered in Sarawak by wildlife photographers Chien C Lee and Lars Fehlandt. Its legs are covered in fine hairs with a vibrant cobalt blue sheen, which remains consistent even when viewed from different angles.
| Etymology | The generic name is a combination of the Malay word “biru” (blue) and the Latin “pes” (leg). The species epithet is a combination of abbreviated names (Simon, Roxanne, and Igor) of children of the collectors of the holotype. |
| Length | ♀ 45.5mm; ♂ 45mm. |
| Habitat | Lives in burrow at ground level forest edges. |
| Type Locality | Batang Salak, Sarawak, Malaysia. |
| Distribution | Malaysia (Sarawak). |
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Chelicerata (Chelicerates)
Class Arachnida (Arachnids)
Order Araneae (Spiders)
Suborder Mygalomorphae (Mygalomorphs)
Superfamily Avicularioidea
Family Theraphosidae (Tarantulas)
Subfamily Selenocosmiinae
Holotype
Sarawak Museum Department, Kuching, Malaysia; ♂ (Gabriel & Sherwood, 2019a)
Paratype(s)
Sarawak Museum Department, Kuching, Malaysia; ♀ (Gabriel & Sherwood, 2019a)
Birupes simoroxigorum (Original description ♂♀)
Gabriel & Sherwood, 2019a A new genus and species of theraphosid spider from Sarawak, Borneo (Araneae: Theraphosidae): 23, f. 5-13
Malaysia (Sarawak).