Haploclastus

Haploclastus is a small genus of Old World tarantulas endemic to India, placed in the subfamily Thrigmopoeinae. It was erected in 1892 by the French arachnologist Eugène Simon, with Haploclastus cervinus as the type species. These are largely fossorial or semi-arboreal earth-tiger style spiders, known for deep burrows, strong webbing and potent venom rather than urticating hairs.

Taxonomic history

• 1890s–1930s – Original core of the genus

• After Simon’s description of H. cervinus, additional Indian species such as H. nilgirinus, H. tenebrosus and others were described through the early 20th century, forming the classic concept of Haploclastus as a group of little-known Indian tarantulas.

Phlogiodes and early revisions

In 1899 Reginald Pocock created a separate genus, Phlogiodes, for some similar Indian theraphosids. Robert Raven’s 1985 revision later treated Phlogiodes as a synonym of Haploclastus, temporarily pulling those species into Haploclastus. Further work by Mirza & Sanap (2013) re-validated Phlogiodes, and its species were moved back out again.

Species moved out of Haploclastus

Modern revisions have gradually tightened the genus. Haploclastus himalayensis was transferred to Chilobrachys based on maxillary setae characters, and several striking “rainbow” species familiar in the hobby (H. devamatha, H. kayi, H. psychedelicus) were moved into Mirza’s new genus Cilantica in 2024. This is why many care sheets and dealers still use older names like Haploclastus devamatha for what is now formally Cilantica devamatha or Cilantica psychedelicus.

Current status

A 2024 systematic revision of Thrigmopoeinae added three new Haploclastus species (H. ajithii, H. bratocolonus and H. montanus) and clarified relationships within the group. As of 2025, the World Spider Catalog recognizes seven valid Haploclastus species, all restricted to India: H. ajithii, H. bratocolonus, H. cervinus, H. montanus, H. nilgirinus, H. satyanus and H. tenebrosus (with some ongoing debate about the true placement of H. satyanus).

Because of India’s strict wildlife-export regulations, true Haploclastus species are rarely seen in the hobby compared to their more flamboyant ex-Haploclastus cousins in Cilantica

Haploclastus nilgirinus

• Common name: Nilgiri Earth Tiger / Nilgiri Large Burrowing Spider

• Origin: Endemic to the Nilgiri Hills of the Western Ghats, southern India

• Lifestyle: Old World, fossorial to semi-arboreal; heavy webber that lives in deep burrows and natural tree holes in tea estates, orchards, and forest margins

• Adult size: Around 4–4.5 in (10–11 cm) diagonal leg span

• Growth rate: Moderate – not a super-fast grower; typically several years to reach maturity in captivity

• Temperament: Typical Old World tarantula – secretive and shy but very fast and defensive if disturbed; not recommended for beginners

• Color & appearance:

  • Females: dark brown to charcoal body with a metallic blue-purple sheen on the legs and subtle bronze/gold tones on the carapace

  • Males: smaller and more slender with a duller brown coloration

  • No urticating hairs; sleek Old World look with dense leg hair and heavy webbing in the enclosure

Species History

Haploclastus nilgirinus is an Old World tarantula endemic to the Nilgiri Hills of the Western Ghats in southern India. First described by R.I. Pocock in 1899 from a female specimen, it remained a rarely seen, poorly known species for over a century, known mostly from scattered records and museum material.

In recent decades it’s become better documented thanks to field work in the Nilgiris, where it’s recognized as the “Nilgiri large burrowing spider,” a fossorial or semi-arboreal tarantula that occupies burrows and tree holes in tea estates and forest edges. The species shows marked sexual dimorphism (males smaller and more slender than females) and lacks urticating hairs, relying instead on speed and threat displays typical of Old World species.

H. nilgirinus is currently regarded as a valid, Western Ghats–endemic member of the genus Haploclastus, which consists entirely of Indian tarantulas. Because its range is restricted to a highland hotspot heavily modified by plantations and human activity, researchers have highlighted the species as a conservation concern, with potential threats from habitat loss, climate change, and illegal wildlife trade.

Natural Habitat

In the wild, Haploclastus nilgirinus is restricted to the cool, wet highlands of the Nilgiri Hills in the Western Ghats of southern India, a globally important montane rainforest and grassland hotspot. Here, elevations around Coonoor and neighbouring areas offer mild temperatures, high humidity and heavy seasonal rainfall, ideal for this secretive tarantula.

Field studies show the species living on steep, vegetated slopes within tea plantations, fruit orchards (especially old pear trees) and remnants of native shola forest. It occupies silk-lined retreats in deep soil burrows as well as natural tree hollows, emerging at night to hunt. This combination of burrowing and tree-hole use makes H. nilgirinus a habitat-flexible but strongly moisture-dependent species tightly tied to the Nilgiri montane landscape.

Our Specimen

Given name: TBD

Sex: Female

Life stage: Adult

• New addition to our collection

• Approximately 4.5 inches