Aspinochilus
- Dominik Alexander
- Nov 26, 2025
- 3 min read
There is currently only one accepted species in this genus. Muller (2024) described this species in a comprehensive publication.
Aspinochilus rufus
Common name: Often sold as the Peach Earth Tiger or Rufus Earth Tiger tarantula.
Origin: An Old World arboreal species endemic to Java, Indonesia, specifically montane rainforest habitats.
Lifestyle:
Arboreal tarantula that will also make use of burrows or deep retreats, heavily webbing its surroundings.
Nocturnal and secretive, spending much of the day hidden in webbed tubes, root tangles, or cork hollows.
Adult size: Reaches around 6–7 in (15–18 cm) diagonal leg span as an adult.
Growth rate: Generally described as fast-growing for a tarantula, reaching maturity in just a few years under good conditions.
Temperament
Classic defensive Old World: extremely fast, prone to stand its ground, and will bite if provoked.
Best suited to experienced or advanced keepers; not recommended as a handling species.
Color & appearance:
Striking peach to reddish-orange leg and body setae, with especially bright, long hairs along the femurs that give a “flared” look.
Carapace tends toward warm gold/olive tones with pale chelicerae.
Abdomen shows the classic “earth tiger” striping: peach-brown base with bold, darker banding.
Overall effect is a vivid, peach-red arboreal “tree tiger” that really stands out in a collection.
Species History
Aspinochilus rufus – often known in the hobby as the Peach Earth Tiger – has had a short but interesting taxonomic journey. For years it circulated in collections as Phormingochilus sp. “rufus”, a striking arboreal earth tiger from Java whose true identity hadn’t been formally worked out.
In 2024, a detailed revision of Southeast Asian Ornithoctoninae finally put a scientific name to the face. The authors recognized that “rufus” was distinct enough from other Phormingochilus to warrant its own new genus, and described Aspinochilus rufus as both a new species and the type (and currently only) member of Aspinochilus.
The species is native to the montane rainforests of Mt. Argopuro in East Java, Indonesia, where it lives as an arboreal tarantula in tree hollows and heavy webbing. Its vivid peach-to-red coloration inspired the name rufus (“red”) and the common name Peach Earth Tiger, and its combination of rarity, colour and behaviour has quickly made it one of the most sought-after Old World arboreals in the hobby.
Natural Habitat
Aspinochilus rufus is native to the lush montane rainforests of Mount Argopuro in East Java, Indonesia. In the wild, these spiders live at elevations of roughly 700–900+ meters, where temperatures are warm, humidity is consistently high, and the forest floor is shaded by dense canopy.
This species is primarily arboreal, constructing heavy webbing in tree hollows, root tangles, and dense vegetation, using the cover of moss, leaf litter, and bark for security. Ongoing deforestation and habitat disturbance in its limited Javan range mean that A. rufus is considered threatened in nature, making responsible captive breeding especially important.
Our Specimen:
Given name: Snapple
Sex: Male
Life stage: Sub-adult to adult
Matured out as a male
Hoping to breed with our adult female
Our Specimen:
Given name: Elberta
Sex: Female
Life stage: Adult
New addition to our collection
Hoping to breed with our male
She is approximately 5.5 to 6 inches
Have not witnessed a takedown yet
She has not visibly moved from behind her hide
Our Specimen:
Given name: Coral
Sex: Female
Life stage: Juvenile
New addition to our collection
Young female with beautiful orange and rust coloration
Our Specimen:
Given name: Carolina
Sex: Female
Life stage: Juvenile
New addition to our collection
Young female with beautiful orange and rust coloration
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