Anqasha

Dominik Alexander
Nov 26
4 min read

Anqasha is a small genus of New World tarantulas from the Ancash region of the central Peruvian Andes. Currently, the World Spider Catalog recognizes three species—A. picta, A. minaperinensis, and A. lima—all described within the last few decades, making this a very recently defined group. These spiders are typically small to medium terrestrial tarantulas from high-elevation grassland and scrub habitats in and around the Cordillera Blanca, where conditions are cooler and wetter than in most tarantula localities.

The genus name Anqasha comes from the Quechua word for “blue,” a nod both to Andean culture and to the striking blue leg and abdominal patterning seen in some species and morphs (often sold as “Anqasha sp. Blue” or “Majestic Blue Tiger”). First established by Sherwood & Gabriel in 2022 to house spiders formerly placed in Hapalopus and Homoeomma, Anqasha is now the focus of active taxonomic work, with new species described as recently as 2023 and 2025.

There are a few recent publications that are worth reading:

Kaderka, R. (2023). Notes on Anqasha picta (Pocock, 1903) and description of a new species of Anqasha from Peru (Araneae, Theraphosidae, Theraphosinae). Revista Peruana de Biología 30(4, e25154): 1-15.

Sherwood, D., Gabriel, R., Peñaherrera-R., P., León-E., R. J., Rollard, C., Leguin, E.-A., Brescovit, A. D. & Lucas, S. M. (2025f). On the identity of some taxa in the tarantula tribe Hapalopini, with two synonymies, and description of four new genera and three new species (Araneae: Theraphosidae). ZooNova 46: 1-23

Sherwood, D. & Gabriel, R. (2022a). A new species and two new genera of theraphosine from Peru (Araneae: Theraphosidae). Arachnology 19(Special Issue): 247-256.

Anqasha sp. blue

Common name: Majestic Blue Tiger (Anqasha Blue)

Origin:

Region: Central Peruvian Andes, likely in or near the Ancash / Cordillera Blanca
Habitat type: Cool, high-elevation puna grasslands and open woodland, with rocky soils and strong seasonality.

Lifestyle:

Type: New World dwarf, terrestrial.
Behavior: Slings may dig shallow burrows; juveniles and adults are more surface-oriented display spiders, often sitting in the open rather than remaining hidden.

Adult size:

Diagonal legspan: ~4–4.5 in (10–11.5 cm); consistently marketed as a “true dwarf” maxing out around 4"+ DLS.

Growth rate:

Speed: Medium to fast. Keepers and vendors report slings molting roughly monthly up to ~1.5–2" before slowing, giving a quicker maturation than many other New World terrestrials.

Temperament:

Described by multiple sellers as exceptionally calm and tolerant of disturbance, with a slow, deliberate way of moving.
Rarely kicks hairs or shows defensive behavior; widely promoted as beginner-friendly and suitable for cautious, experienced handlers (though handling is never risk-free).

Color & appearance:

Legs: Deep metallic blue femurs and patellae, often with darker tibiae/tarsi.
Carapace: Warm creamy-orange to golden carapace, usually with a darker central “heart-shaped” patch of urticating setae.
Abdomen: Gold to tan base with blue to slate “tiger” banding/chevrons, giving a bold striped pattern even under normal room lighting.
Overall look is that of a miniature blue-legged tiger rump, combining high-contrast blues and pumpkin-like earth tones.

Species History

Anqasha sp. “Blue” is an undescribed Andean dwarf tarantula currently known in the hobby under its trade name rather than a formal scientific name. It belongs to the recently established Peruvian genus Anqasha, erected in 2022 for spiders previously placed in Hapalopus and Homoeomma, with the type species Anqasha picta from the Cordillera Blanca region of Ancash, Peru.

The “Blue” form appears in the hobby in the mid-2020s, when a small number of captive-bred stock and imports began circulating under names like “Anqasha sp. Blue” and “Majestic Blue Tiger.” Retailers describe it as a rare, cool-climate New World dwarf from high-elevation Andean localities, reaching about 4″ legspan and notable for its metallic blue legs and blue-striped abdomen. Early keeper photos and discussions on forums such as Arachnoboards further popularized the name and confirmed its status as a distinct, blue Andean Anqasha in the trade, even while its exact species-level identity remained unresolved.

On the scientific side, taxonomic work on Anqasha is ongoing. Since 2023, additional species such as A. minaperinensis and the newly named A. lima have been described from Peru, and World Spider Catalog currently lists three accepted species in the genus plus earlier references to an undescribed Anqasha sp. from Kaderka’s revision. None of these papers has yet formally linked a name to the bright blue hobby “sp. Blue” form, so in the absence of a published description, it is best treated as an undescribed Anqasha species/locality. As new field material and revisions are published, the trade name will likely eventually be replaced by an official species name.

Natural Habitat:

Anqasha sp. “Blue” is believed to come from the cool, high-elevation Andes of central Peru, in the same general region as described Anqasha species such as A. picta and A. minaperinensis in the Cordillera Blanca and surrounding Ancash highlands (c. 2,200–4,100 m above sea level). Dealers exporting this form consistently describe it as originating from “cool, high-elevation provinces of the Andes,” aligning it with these Andean dwarf habitats.

In this part of Peru, the Cordillera Blanca and neighboring ranges are dominated by rocky puna grasslands, scrub, and open high-Andean woodland around glacial valleys and slopes. The climate is a tropical high-mountain savannah: average temperatures hover around 11 °C / low-50s °F, with pronounced wet and dry seasons and high annual rainfall, while nights can drop close to freezing.

Within this landscape, Anqasha species are small terrestrial fossorial tarantulas. Field and husbandry notes on A. picta describe it as a denizen of cool, rocky savannahs, grasslands and woodland edges, living in shallow, silk-lined scrapes and burrows beneath stones and ground cover. Although Anqasha sp. “Blue” has not yet been formally described, it is almost certainly using similar microhabitats—hugging the ground under rocks, roots and tussocks in cool, windswept Andean hillsides.

Our Specimen:

Given name: Ceviche

Sex: Undetermined

Life stage: Sling