• 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) 0.75"

Tapinauchenius plumipes (purple tree tarantula) 0.75"

$20.00 USD
$35.00 USD $20.00 USD
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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. Adult females and immature specimens of both sexes have a dark ground color with strongly light-dependent iridescence. The carapace ranges from silvery or greenish gray to charcoal and bears fine pale hairs along its margin and radiating grooves. The chelicerae are dark with contrasting gray hairs. Under neutral or diffuse lighting, the legs and pedipalps appear charcoal-gray to nearly black, while cool, directional light reveals conspicuous lavender, violet-blue, or indigo iridescence. The largely unpatterned abdomen shows the greatest change, shifting from velvety blue-black to saturated violet-purple as the lighting direction and viewing angle change. 

Mature males are markedly dimorphic, becoming much slimmer and proportionally longer-legged while losing most of the violet iridescence. The 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 entrance of the retreat 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:

For orders containing live animals, shipping is offered throughout the continental US (48 states) through FedEx Priority Overnight. Orders containing both live and non-live products may be shipped together or seperately, depending on the items in the order, their sizes, and whether everything can fit in a single shipment. Orders with live and non-live products which need to be shipped seperately will incur additional shipping costs for the separate USPS shipping of the non-live items. Shipments containing live animals are dropped off on Tuesdays or Wednesdays for next-day arrival. By default, we ship all packages held for pickup to the closest FedEx Ship Center to the order address, requiring in-person pickup at that FedEx Ship Center. Home delivery of live animal orders is possible; however, packages shipped for delivery rather than held for pick up are not eligible for LAG, and doing so is against our advisement and at the customer's risk. This does not apply to customers who do not have a FedEx Ship Center near them that is authorized to accept live animal shipments; in these cases, orders will be shipped for home delivery, and LAG will be honored.

We also offer expo pickup and a DFW local meet-up option so you can save on shipping. See Expo Schedule for details. 

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. Non-live shipments will be sent directly to the address listed on the order, typically on the day the order is placed or the following day. 

What to expect after placing an order:

After you place an order on our website, we will contact you within 12 hours to provide the delivery date and the FedEx pickup location. Please respond and let us know if that works for you. The package will NOT be shipped until we have your confirmation. A tracking number will be provided on the day of shipment.

There will be times when shipping must be delayed due to weather, our schedule, or if a tarantula you ordered has recently molted or appears to be about to molt. You will be notified if that happens, and we will work out another date. 

Carrier delays happen, so please ensure you or someone you know will be available to pick up your package, even if it's 1-3 days late. 

Live Arrival Guarantee (LAG):

Buddha Bugs offers LAG but ONLY when the following conditions are met:

  • "Freebies" are not covered by LAG.
  • For the safety of the animals and to ensure the best chance of live arrival, orders must be shipped to your nearest authorized FedEx Ship Center and held for pickup to be eligible for LAG. This does not apply to customers who do not have a FedEx Ship Center near them that is authorized to accept live animal shipments; in these cases, orders will be shipped for home delivery, and LAG will be honored.
  • The package must be picked up from FedEx on the day it arrives; any time during the store’s opening hours is fine. Please bring a valid ID. Picking up packages on any day other than the day of arrival will void the LAG. 
  • In the unlikely event of a DOA, we require notice and evidence within 3 hours of pickup. You must provide a clear photo/video of the deceased specimen. Refunds will not include shipping costs, and replacements may not always be available.
  • ANY DEVIATION OF THIS CAN RESULT IN LAG VOID

Home delivery is available upon request, but LAG is not offered for shipments sent for home delivery if there is an authorized FedEx Ship Center within 60 miles of the customer's zip code, due to the unpredictability of this shipping method. This does not apply to customers who do not have a FedEx Ship Center near them that is authorized to accept live animal shipments; in these cases, orders will be shipped for home delivery, and LAG will be honored.

Due to the risk to the animals, even in circumstances where the customer accepts LAG being voided for home delivery shipments, we will not ship animals for home delivery at or above 90°F or at or below 35°F.

Please remember that FedEx DOES NOT reimburse Buddha Bugs for lost packages or the loss of any live animals. We take every precaution we can to ensure your new pets arrive safely. 

Returns & Refunds

 

Returns & Refunds:

We DO NOT accept returns on live animals.

Non-live animal products may be returned for a refund within 14 days of delivery. The product must be unused and in its original packaging. After we receive your return, refunds will be processed within 5-10 business days. Refunds will not include shipping costs. Used products will be rejected and shipped back to the customer when possible. 

You will be refunded immediately if any animal in your order arrives dead. Please see our Shipping Policy for LAG details.

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:  

We require a ~3% cancellation fee on all cancellations. For card payments, the fee is 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction; different payment methods may have slightly higher or lower fee amounts. This is a non-recoverable fee we are charged when processing your payment, and it is not refunded to us by Shopify when an order is canceled or a refund is issued. Canceling orders creates extra labor and costs on our end and reduces available stock for others who may be interested, so please make sure you are committed before placing an order.

If a product in your order is out of stock, we will contact you and offer the option to cancel part or all of your order. There's no extra fee for this; we apologize for any inconvenience.

Some Poecilotheria species cannot be shipped across state lines, as clearly stated in the product titles and product details. Please do not purchase if you live outside of Texas, or that portion/your whole order will be canceled and refunded immediately; you will also be charged a 10% cancellation fee, which will be deducted from the refund.

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