Caribena

Dominik Alexander
Nov 24, 2025
4 min read

Caribena is a modern Caribbean tarantula genus formally established in 2017, when taxonomists revised the classic “pinktoe” group and split off a distinct island lineage from the old genus Avicularia. Although the name Caribena is new, its species – most notably the beloved Antilles pinktoe (Caribena versicolor) and Puerto Rican pinktoe (Caribena laeta) – have been known to science since the 19th century under older names. These arboreal spiders are now recognized as a separate genus based on their Caribbean island range and unique features, including their very long, slender urticating hairs and distinctive male morphology, giving Caribena a firm and well-defined place in modern tarantula taxonomy.

Source: Fukushima and Bertani 2017

Source: Fukushima and Bertani 2017

Caribena versicolor

Common name: Antilles Pinktoe

Origin: Martinique and nearby Lesser Antillean islands in the Caribbean

Lifestyle: Arboreal, web-dwelling New World tarantula

Adult size: Adults typically reach around 4.5–5 inches (11–13 cm) leg span, with females being stockier and longer-lived than males.

Growth rate: Generally considered a moderate to fast-growing arboreal species. Slings put on size quickly with regular feeding and good husbandry, often reaching juvenile/sub-adult size in a couple of years.

Temperament: Usually skittish but not aggressive. More inclined to bolt and hide or jump away than to stand and fight. As a New World species it possesses urticating hairs, but defensive displays and hair-kicking are less common than in many terrestrial species. Still, it’s best treated as a display animal, not a handling species.

Color & appearance: C. versicolor is famous for its dramatic color change. Spiderlings hatch in intense electric blue with darker patterning, then develop vibrant hues as they mature. Adults show a metallic green to teal carapace, reddish to burgundy abdomen with contrasting hairs, and purple, blue, and green tones on the legs. The combination of fluffy pinkish setae on the legs and vivid body colors gives the species its “pinktoe” name and makes it one of the most visually striking arboreal tarantulas in the hobby.

Species History

Caribena versicolor has one of the longer and more tangled histories in the pinktoe group. The species was first described in 1837 by Charles Athanase Walckenaer as Mygale versicolor, based on a female supposedly from Guadeloupe and a male said to be from Brazil. Later work showed those two spiders weren’t even the same species, which created decades of confusion over exactly which animal the name “versicolor” truly belonged to.

During the 19th and 20th centuries the spider was shuffled through several names. Earlier authors had already used names like Aranea hirtipes and Mygale hirtipes for very similar animals, and over time these were treated as referring to the same species now known as C. versicolor. In 1892, Eugène Simon transferred Walckenaer’s species into the arboreal tarantula genus Avicularia as Avicularia versicolor, and another name, Avicularia rutilans (Ausserer, 1875), was later recognized as a synonym. For hobbyists, this is why older literature, labels, and care sheets almost always refer to the animal as Avicularia versicolor.

The modern picture came into focus in 2017, when Caroline Fukushima and Rogério Bertani published a full revision of Avicularia. They clarified the old type confusion by treating Mygale versicolor as the Caribbean female (now believed to be from Martinique), designated a neotype, formally synonymized A. rutilans with it, and then moved the species into their newly created genus Caribena. From that point on, the correct scientific name became Caribena versicolor (Walckenaer, 1837).

Today, C. versicolor is recognized as a distinct Caribbean island pinktoe, native primarily to Martinique in the Lesser Antilles. Its dramatic color change from electric-blue spiderlings to green, red, and purple adults has made it one of the most iconic arboreal tarantulas in the hobby—so while the name on the label has changed several times over nearly two centuries, the spider itself has remained the same vibrant “Antilles pinktoe” that has charmed keepers around the world.

Natural Habitat

In the wild, Caribena versicolor is a strictly arboreal tarantula from the humid tropical forests of the Lesser Antilles, especially the island of Martinique, with established populations also reported from nearby islands such as Guadeloupe and Dominica. It lives high off the ground among trees and dense shrubs, weaving thick silk retreats in hollows, branch junctions, bromeliads, and foliage where it can hide during the day and ambush flying and climbing insects at night. These rainforests stay warm and humid year-round, with frequent rainfall and lush vegetation, creating a constantly moist, well-ventilated environment that this species has evolved to thrive in.

Our Specimen:

Given name: Mochi

Sex: TBD

Life stage: Sub-adult

Approximately 4 inches
We received Mochi as a tiny sling; added at least 2.5 inches of growth in 10 months
Commonly on display; always webs on top of the enclosure
Now has adult coloration