Scientists in Thailand have identified a new species of tarantula—and it’s bright blue! The spider, called Chilobrachys natanicharum, has been known in the pet trade for years. Now, scientists have found the tarantula in the wild—and determined that it is a unique species.
Blue is one of the rarest colors in nature. C. natanicharum gets its color from tiny structures in its hairs that refract, or bend, visible light. Visible light contains all the colors of the rainbow, but the spider’s hairs reflect only a vibrant blue hue.
Saoirse Foley, a biologist on the team, hopes this discovery will help protect the species. “Describing a species is important,” she says. “You can’t protect what you don’t know exists.”