• A mature female Tapinauchenius plumipes, a tarantula species known as the purple tree tarantula, poses on natural cork bark.
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Buddha Bugs

Tapinauchenius plumipes (purple tree tarantula) 1"

Tapinauchenius plumipes (purple tree tarantula) 1"

$20.00 USD
$35.00 USD $20.00 USD
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Before ordering: Unless marked “exact animal pictured,” photos are representative; refer to the product title or selected option for the size or sex offered. Shipped live-animal orders require a $50 cart subtotal and are normally held for pickup at an authorized FedEx Ship Center. Please review our Shipping & Live Arrival and Refund & Cancellation policies before purchasing.

Species Overview

Tapinauchenius plumipes, commonly known as the purple tree tarantula or purple tree spider, is a medium-sized arboreal tarantula native to Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and northern Brazil. The hobby still commonly refers to this species by its previous name, Tapinauchenius violaceus.

Adult females and immature specimens of both sexes have a carapace ranging from silvery or greenish gray to charcoal. Their legs and pedipalps appear charcoal-gray to nearly black under neutral or diffuse lighting, while cool, directional light reveals lavender-to-indigo iridescence. The largely unpatterned abdomen shifts from velvety blue-black to saturated violet-purple as lighting and viewing angle change.

Mature males become much slimmer and proportionally longer-legged, losing most of the violet iridescence. Their carapace ranges from pale olive-gray to bronze-brown, while the legs are grayish brown with long pale to copper-colored setae and the abdomen is muted tan to gray-brown.

In captivity, T. plumipes grows relatively quickly, feeds readily, and constructs a dense silk-lined retreat behind vertical cork bark or within other elevated cover. Established specimens often remain concealed during the day and emerge after dark or wait near the retreat entrance for prey. Like other Tapinauchenius, it lacks urticating hairs and usually retreats rapidly when disturbed, although cornered individuals may assume a defensive posture.

  • Common Name: Purple tree tarantula; purple tree spider
  • Native Range: Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and northern Brazil
  • Life Habit: Arboreal
  • Adult Size: 4–4.75 inches in diagonal leg span
  • Lifespan: Males 3–4 years; females 10–12+ years under optimal conditions
  • Temperament: Fast and generally reclusive; potentially defensive when exposed or cornered
  • Care Difficulty: Easy to Moderate

Tapinauchenius plumipes Care

Tapinauchenius plumipes requires a secure, vertically oriented setup with good ventilation and enough structure to support a concealed arboreal retreat. A vertical piece of cork bark should extend nearly the full height of the enclosure, with artificial foliage, additional bark, or other anchor points placed around it. The primary retreat should ideally be positioned away from the door so routine feeding and watering can be performed without forcing the spider into the open.

  • Enclosure: 25-dram vial or equivalent for spiderlings, upgraded as needed with growth; 8” x 8” x 12” or larger for adults
  • Substrate: Coconut fiber, peat moss, topsoil, or a similar moisture-retentive substrate; provide sufficient depth for juveniles to excavate and include vertically oriented cork bark, a hollow cork tube, or another protected retreat
  • Temperature: 72–82°F
  • Humidity: Moderate ambient humidity is generally sufficient. Approximately 25–50% of the substrate should remain slightly moist to create a humidity gradient, while allowing the rest to stay comparatively dry. Small spiderling enclosures should not be allowed to dry completely, but avoid saturated substrate, persistent condensation, and poor ventilation.
  • Diet: Crickets, cockroaches, and other appropriately sized feeder insects
  • Feeding: Spiderlings can be offered appropriately sized prey once or twice weekly. Juveniles and adults are typically fed every 7–14 days, with feeding frequency adjusted based on prey size, growth rate, and the condition of the individual animal.
  • Water: Lightly moisten part of the substrate as needed and provide water droplets on enclosure surfaces and webbing for spiderlings; larger specimens should have access to a water dish.
  • Routine Maintenance: Remove uneaten prey, monitor moisture levels, and spot-clean when necessary.

Natural History

The species was originally described from Suriname as Mygale plumipes in 1842 and later became the type species of Tapinauchenius. A major revision published in 2022 placed Tapinauchenius violaceus, T. purpureus, T. concolor, and the true T. gigas in synonymy with T. plumipes. Consequently, the purple tree spider long maintained in captivity as T. violaceus is now correctly classified as T. plumipes. 

Older records of T. plumipes from Trinidad were reassigned to T. latipes, making “Trinidad mahogany tarantula” an inappropriate current common name for T. plumipes. The familiar hobby animal historically circulated as T. gigas represents a separate case: that identification was based on material that did not match the true T. gigas types, and the captive species was described as Amazonius germani in the same revision.

Tapinauchenius plumipes inhabits humid tropical forests across the Guianas and northern Amazonia. Although detailed species-specific field observations remain limited, specimens have been recorded from bromeliads, beneath bark, and under palm leaves or other protected vegetation. These elevated shelters are reinforced with silk and provide protection during the day. Individuals emerge primarily after dark to wait near the retreat entrance or move across nearby trunks and vegetation in search of prey.

Shipping

Shipping method for live animal orders:

Orders containing live animals must have a subtotal of at least $50 to qualify for shipping.

For orders containing live animals, we ship throughout the continental U.S. (48 states) via FedEx Priority Overnight. Orders containing both live and non-live products may be shipped together or separately, depending on the items in the order, their sizes, and whether everything can fit safely in one shipment. When non-live products must be shipped separately by USPS, additional shipping charges will apply.

Live-animal packages are normally dropped off on Tuesdays or Wednesdays for next-day arrival. By default, packages are held for pickup at the nearest reasonably accessible FedEx Ship Center authorized to accept the shipment and must be collected in person.

Home delivery is available upon request. When a reasonably accessible authorized FedEx Ship Center is available, customer-requested home delivery is not eligible for our live arrival guarantee and is sent at the customer’s risk.

FedEx Ship Center availability varies by destination, and not every FedEx location is authorized to accept live-animal shipments. If no reasonably accessible authorized FedEx Ship Center is available, we will contact the customer and arrange home delivery. In this circumstance, home delivery remains eligible for LAG, provided all other LAG requirements are met.

Checkout shipping rates and free-shipping offers are based on FedEx Ship Center pickup. Any additional amount charged for home delivery is the customer’s responsibility and must be paid before shipment. For qualifying orders, free shipping covers standard Ship Center service but not any additional home-delivery cost. If no reasonably accessible authorized Ship Center is available and the customer declines the additional charge, the affected portion of the order—or the entire order when necessary—may be canceled without the standard cancellation fee.

We also offer expo pickup and a DFW local-meetup option. Please see our Expo Schedule for additional information.

Shipping method for non-live orders:

For shipments containing no live animals, shipping is available to all 50 states via USPS Ground Advantage or USPS Priority Mail. We will ship non-live orders directly to the address listed on the order, typically the day the order is placed or the following day. 

What to expect after placing an order:

If your order contains live animals that will be shipped, we will contact you within 12 hours with a proposed delivery date and, when applicable, the FedEx Ship Center pickup location. If home delivery is requested or required, we will provide the delivery arrangements and any additional shipping charge. We will not ship the package until you confirm the arrangements and any outstanding shipping balance has been paid. Tracking information will be provided on the day of shipment.

Shipping may be delayed because of weather, carrier conditions, our schedule, or if an animal has recently molted or appears likely to molt. We will notify you if a delay is necessary and arrange another suitable date.

Carrier delays can occur. Customers remain responsible for meeting the applicable pickup or receipt requirements on the day the package actually arrives, even if it arrives later than originally scheduled.

Live Arrival Guarantee (LAG):

Buddha Bugs offers a live arrival guarantee only when all of the following conditions are met:

  • Freebies are not covered by LAG.
  • When a reasonably accessible FedEx Ship Center authorized to accept the shipment is available, the package must be held for pickup at that location.
  • If no such location is available, we will arrange home delivery. In this circumstance, home delivery remains eligible for LAG, provided all other requirements are met.
  • Packages held at a FedEx Ship Center must be picked up on the day they arrive. Pickup at any time during the location’s regular opening hours is acceptable. Please bring valid identification.
  • In the unlikely event of a DOA, the customer must contact us and provide clear photographic or video evidence within three hours of FedEx Ship Center pickup—or within three hours of delivery when an LAG-eligible home delivery applies.
  • Shipping costs are not refunded, and replacements may not always be available.

ANY DEVIATION FROM THESE REQUIREMENTS MAY VOID THE LAG.

Home delivery is available upon request. When a reasonably accessible FedEx Ship Center authorized to accept the shipment is available, customer-requested home delivery is not eligible for LAG and is sent at the customer’s risk. When no such location is available, home delivery arranged by Buddha Bugs is eligible for LAG, provided all other requirements are met.

For animal safety, we do not ship live animals for home delivery when temperatures are 90°F or higher or 35°F or lower, regardless of whether the shipment would otherwise qualify for LAG.

FedEx does not reimburse Buddha Bugs for lost packages or the loss of live animals. We take every reasonable precaution to give each shipment the best chance of arriving safely.

Returns & Refunds

Returns & Refunds:

We DO NOT accept returns on live animals.

You may return non-live animal products for a refund within 14 days of delivery. The product must be unused and in its original packaging. After we receive your return, we will process refunds within 5-10 business days. Refunds will not include shipping costs. We will reject used products and, when possible, ship them back to the customer. 

If an animal arrives deceased, contact us within the required three-hour period and provide clear photographic or video evidence. When all live arrival guarantee requirements are met, we will provide the applicable refund or arrange a replacement when available. Multi-count products are handled according to the number of live animals received. Shipping costs and freebies are not covered. Please review our Shipping & Live Arrival Policy for complete requirements.

For online purchases with local pickup, pickup at a show, or for purchases made at a show, the customer is responsible for inspecting the purchased items and verifying that they are to their satisfaction. If they are not, they must express any dissatisfaction before the sale is completed, as all sales are final. We are not liable for damages after the customer receives their items due to issues including but not limited to the customer mishandling transport and/or overheating animals. 

Cancellations:

Customer-requested cancellations are subject to an approximately 3% cancellation fee. For card payments, the fee is 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction; different payment methods may have slightly higher or lower fee amounts. This reflects the nonrecoverable payment-processing cost charged when the order is placed and not returned to us when a refund is issued. Canceling an order also creates additional labor and temporarily removes inventory from availability, so please make sure you are committed before placing an order.

If a product is unavailable because of an inventory error, we will contact the customer and offer to cancel the affected product or the complete order without a cancellation fee.

If we determine after an order is placed that no reasonably accessible FedEx Ship Center authorized to accept the shipment is available, we will contact the customer with any additional cost required for home delivery. If the customer declines that additional charge, the affected portion of the order—or the entire order when necessary—may be canceled without the standard cancellation fee.

Certain ESA-listed Poecilotheria species cannot be shipped across state lines and are clearly marked “TX SALES ONLY” in their product titles and descriptions. If a customer outside Texas purchases one of these animals, the restricted portion of the order—or the entire order when necessary—will be canceled. The approximately 3% cancellation fee will be deducted from the refund because the restriction was disclosed before purchase. Refunds will be issued to the original payment method, but the time required for the credit to appear depends on the payment provider.

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