Anqasha

Anqasha is a recently erected South American genus of the family Theraphosidae established on the basis of morphological and biogeographic evidence that segregated a clade of high-altitude Andean species from previously encompassing genera. Members are associated with the montane and puna biomes of the central Peruvian Andes, where they occupy rocky slopes, crevices, and tussock grasslands at elevations considerably higher than those tolerated by most Neotropical theraphosids.

Species within the genus are comparatively small-bodied relative to lowland theraphosids, an ecomorphological pattern common among high-altitude Andean arachnids, and they exhibit life-history traits consistent with cooler, more thermally variable environments, including reduced growth rates and extended intermolt intervals. Adult leg span is modest, generally falling in the range of 2.5 to 4 inches. Retreats are typically constructed within natural crevices and beneath stones, with silk used primarily to line the refuge rather than to form extensive surface structures.

As New World theraphosids, Anqasha species possess urticating setae on the dorsal opisthosoma and rely on a combination of refuge concealment and setal flicking for defense. Venom is of no documented medical significance, and temperament is typically described as retiring. The integument frequently bears subtle metallic or copper-toned setae that contribute to the genus's diagnostic appearance.

The genus remains taxonomically young, and ongoing revisionary work continues to refine the boundaries between Anqasha and related Andean lineages such as Hapalotremus and Bistriopelma. Natural-history data are comparatively sparse, and the genus is rarely encountered outside of targeted high-altitude field surveys, contributing to its scarcity in private collections.

Anqasha sp. "Blue"

Peruvian Blue Dwarf

Photo: Luxe Inverts

Field Note

Anqasha is a recently erected Neotropical genus within subfamily Theraphosinae, circumscribed by Kaderka, Ortiz, and Peñaherrera-R. in 2021 from specimens collected in the Peruvian and Bolivian Andes. The genus name is Quechua for “blue,” a reference to the metallic coloration present in several described members. Anqasha sp. “Blue” is an undescribed trade form currently awaiting formal assignment; hobby material has been tentatively linked to Andean cloud-forest populations and may prove conspecific with, or sister to, one of the described species once morphological and molecular work is completed.

Range

Undescribed form; captive material originates from Andean Peru. Related described congeners occur in cloud-forest habitats of the eastern Andean slope.

Lifestyle

Opportunistic terrestrial with strong fossorial tendencies; constructs silk-lined burrows beneath rocks and rootmats in the wild. Small-bodied by theraphosid standards.

Adult Size

A small dwarf; females reach roughly 3–3.5 in diagonal leg span; males noticeably smaller. Sexual dimorphism is modest compared with large-bodied Theraphosinae.

Difficulty

Intermediate

Temperament

Flight-dominant and reclusive; threat displays are rare. Carries Type I urticating setae typical of Theraphosinae, though the small body size limits the practical defensive dose. Bites are undocumented to the author’s knowledge and venom is not considered medically significant.

Habitat

Cool, humid Andean cloud-forest and adjacent montane habitats. Expects moderate substrate moisture, stable temperatures in the mid-60s to low-70s °F, and good ventilation. Avoid the hot, dry conditions suitable for lowland Theraphosinae.

Theraphosinae Terrestrial burrower Andean endemic Dwarf Undescribed form

Anqasha picta

Anqash Tiger Rump

Photo: Luxe Inverts

Field Note

Anqasha picta has one of the longer taxonomic journeys in the hobby. Reginald Pocock first described it in 1903 as Hapalopus pictus in his paper “On some genera and species of South-American Aviculariidae”; Gerschman & Schiapelli moved it to Homoeomma in 1973; and only in 2022 did Sherwood & Gabriel (Arachnology 19: 247–256) erect the new genus Anqasha for it, making A. picta the type species. The genus is diagnosed by a feature of the female genitalia — two separate cylindrical seminal receptacles, each with a sclerotized basal extension — that distinguishes it from all other Theraphosinae. Its name is a fitting piece of regional zoology: anqash is the Quechua word for “blue” and also the root of Áncash, the Peruvian region this spider calls home, while the species epithet picta is Latin for “painted,” for its patterned opisthosoma. Crucially, this is a Theraphosinae — a terrestrial New World tarantula that, unlike the arboreal Aviculariinae pinktoes, kicks urticating setae from its abdomen (Type I/III) as its first line of defense. Originally erected as monotypic, the genus gained a second member when Kaderka (2023) described the female of A. picta and a new congener, A. minaperinensis, from Peru.

Range

Endemic to Peru, and a genuine high-altitude specialist: it occurs around 2,500 m (about 7,500 ft) in the Cordillera Blanca of the Andes, in the Huaylas and Yungay provinces of the Áncash region (Pocock, 1903; Sherwood & Gabriel, 2022; Kaderka, 2023). The holotype male is held at the Natural History Museum, London (NHMUK). This montane origin — cool, seasonal, and far above the lowland rainforest most tarantulas come from — is the single most important thing to know about its care.

Lifestyle

Terrestrial and fossorial. Like its former genus-mates Hapalopus and Homoeomma, it is an opportunistic burrower that lines shallow, scrape-like retreats with silk, typically tucked beneath rocks and surface debris in its high-Andean habitat. Nocturnal and reclusive, it ambushes prey at the burrow mouth after dark and spends daylight hours hidden in the retreat.

Adult Size

A true dwarf of the subfamily Theraphosinae, considerably smaller than the familiar lowland terrestrials, with mature females in the rough range of 2.5–3.5 in (about 6–9 cm) diagonal leg span and males smaller still. In preserved material the body is brown with faded blackish patterning across the dorsal and lateral opisthosoma; living animals show the contrasting “tiger-rump” markings and cooler tones that earn the genus its “blue” name. Formal life-history data are limited, the female having been described only in 2023.

Difficulty

Intermediate

Temperament

A typical small theraphosine: skittish, fast, and inclined to bolt for its burrow rather than confront. As a New World terrestrial it possesses urticating setae and will kick them from the opisthosoma (Type I/III) when pressed — the diametric opposite of the Old World genera, which lack setae entirely, and of the Aviculariinae, which press Type II setae on by contact. Venom is mild with no medically significant effects documented for the genus; the practical cautions are the kicked hairs (which can irritate skin and eyes) and the animal’s speed. Not a handling species, but not a defensively aggressive one either.

Habitat

A terrestrial enclosure with deep, slightly moist substrate for burrowing plus a cork hide or partial rock cover to start a scrape. Because it is a high-Andean montane animal, it should be kept noticeably cooler than lowland tarantulas — roughly the mid-60s to mid-70s °F (about 18–24 °C), avoiding sustained heat — with moderate humidity from a damp substrate base and a shallow, always-available water dish. Good ventilation and a cool gradient matter more here than high humidity.

Theraphosinae Terrestrial / fossorial New World Urticating setae (Type I/III) Dwarf species High-altitude Andean (cooler) Valid species (type of genus) Peru (Áncash)