Orphnaecus

Dominik Alexander
Nov 12
5 min read

Updated: Dec 6

Orphnaecus is a small genus of Old World tarantulas first described by Eugène Simon in 1892. Endemic to the Philippines, these spiders belong to the subfamily Selenocosmiinae and are best known for their robust bodies, fossorial lifestyle, and a distinctive patch of lance-shaped stridulatory spines on the chelicerae, which they use to produce sound.

For more than a century, Orphnaecus was represented only by the type species O. pellitus. In 2012, a major revision of Asian theraphosids temporarily merged the genera Selenobrachys and Chilocosmia into Orphnaecus, so well-known hobby species like Selenobrachys philippinus were briefly treated as Orphnaecus. Recent morphological and DNA-based studies (2025) reversed that decision, re-validating Selenobrachys and Chilocosmia as separate genera and transferring those species back out of Orphnaecus. Today, Orphnaecus is once again a strictly Philippine genus with six recognized species—including newly described forms like O. adamsoni, O. libmanan, O. mimbilisanensis, and the dwarf O. tangcongvaca—several of which are tied to cave or forest habitats and are of growing interest to both science and the tarantula hobby.

Orphnaecus sp. blue quezon

Common Name: Quezon Blue Earth Tiger (Orphnaecus sp. “Blue Quezon”)
Origin: Quezon Province, Luzon Island, Philippines
Lifestyle: Fossorial “pet hole”; burrowing, secretive, often stays in webbed tunnels and burrow entrance
Adult Size: Approx. 4–5″ (10–13 cm) leg span
Growth Rate: Moderate to fast for an Old World fossorial; reaches maturity relatively quickly with good feeding and warmth
Temperament: Skittish and very quick; can be defensive if disturbed – best suited to intermediate or advanced keepers
Color & Appearance: Dark, earthy base tones with a subtle to vivid blue/purplish iridescence on legs and carapace after a fresh molt; slender, leggy build typical of Orphnaecus species

Species History

Orphnaecus sp. “Blue Quezon” is an undescribed Old World tarantula from the genus Orphnaecus, a Philippine group first established by Eugène Simon in 1892. All known Orphnaecus species are native to the Philippines, and the “Blue Quezon” form is collected from forested areas of Quezon Province on Luzon Island.

Because it has not yet been formally described in the scientific literature, the animal is currently traded under the hobby name Orphnaecus sp. “Blue Quezon” / “Quezon Blue Earth Tiger”, and may represent a distinct, locality-based species or color form within the genus. Until taxonomists publish a full description, keepers should treat it as an “sp.” locality form rather than a confirmed species.

“Blue Quezon” is a relatively recent arrival to the international tarantula hobby, becoming more widely available in the late 2010s and early 2020s as captive-bred stock increased. Breeding reports and sales listings under names like Orphnaecus sp. Blue Quezon, Blue Quezon Earth Tiger and Blue Quezon Luzon have helped establish it as one of the notable Philippine dwarf/medium fossorials, prized for its unique locality status and subtle blue sheen.

Natural Habitat

Orphnaecus sp. “Blue Quezon” is native to the tropical lowland forests of Quezon Province on Luzon, Philippines. In the wild it lives on the humid forest floor, where deep, loose soil, leaf litter and rotting wood allow it to dig burrows and line them with silk.

These forests belong to the Luzon rainforest ecoregion, a warm, year-round habitat (mid-20s °C / high-70s °F on average) with high humidity and pronounced rainy seasons. Tall dipterocarp trees form a dense canopy, keeping the ground shaded and moist—ideal conditions for a small, fossorial tarantula like the Quezon Blue Earth Tiger.

Our Specimen:

Given name: TBD

Sex: Female

Life stage: Adult

New addition to our collection
Beautiful dark coloration, stunning

Our Specimen:

Given name: Pancit

Sex: TBD

Life stage: Sling

New addition to our collection

Our Specimen:

Given name: TBD

Sex: TBD

Life stage: Sling

New addition to our collection

Orphnaecus sp. Cebu

Common name: Cebu Island Dwarf Tarantula (also sold as Cebu Island Earth Tiger / Cebu Small)
Origin: Cebu Island, central Philippines (Old World)
Lifestyle: Fossorial / terrestrial, heavy webber that builds silk-lined burrows and tunnels in deep substrate
Adult size: Small species, typically around 2.5–3 in (6–7.5 cm) leg span
Growth rate: Fast-growing for a dwarf tarantula
Temperament: Skittish and defensive; typical Old World attitude and best treated as a display / observation species rather than for handling
Color & appearance: Compact dwarf species with earthy brown legs and abdomen contrasted by an orange to tangerine carapace; adults often darken to rich brown or charcoal tones and look especially striking over their dense webbing.

Species History

Orphnaecus sp. “Cebu” is an undescribed dwarf tarantula from Cebu Island in the central Philippines. It belongs to the genus Orphnaecus, a group of Philippine tarantulas first established in 1892 when Orphnaecus pellitus was described from cave systems in Luzon. Since then, ongoing fieldwork in the archipelago has revealed several additional Orphnaecus species and highlighted how narrowly distributed many of them are.

The “sp.” in its name indicates that the Cebu population has not yet been formally described in the scientific literature. In the hobby it’s variously known as the Cebu Island Dwarf or Cebu Earth Tiger, reflecting its small adult size (around 3″ leg span) and fossorial, heavily webbing lifestyle. Like other Philippine Orphnaecus, this species represents part of an actively evolving taxonomic story, with recent research even reshuffling some former Orphnaecus species into other genera as scientists refine the group’s boundaries.

Today, Orphnaecus sp. “Cebu” is increasingly maintained and propagated in captivity, helping keep pressure off its wild populations while giving keepers a chance to work with a unique, locality-specific Philippine species.

Natural Habitat

Orphnaecus sp. “Cebu” is native to Cebu Island in the central Philippines, where it occupies the warm, humid forest floor of tropical lowland habitats. Historically, Cebu was covered in mangrove and beach forest along the coast, grading into molave forest on limestone hills and humid dipterocarp forest at higher elevations, though most of this native forest has been heavily reduced and fragmented over the last century.

Like other Philippine Orphnaecus, this dwarf tarantula is understood to be a fossorial, heavy-webbing species that creates silk-lined burrows in leaf litter and loose soil over limestone and other rocky substrates. These environments are consistently warm (around 26–27 °C / 79–81 °F) with a pronounced rainy season and a drier period rather than any cool season, and are often associated with karst landscapes—thin soils, exposed limestone, caves, and crevices that support a specialized flora and fauna.

Because Cebu’s original forests are now highly fragmented, remaining populations of Orphnaecus sp. “Cebu” are likely tied to remnant limestone forest and secondary growth, underscoring the value of maintaining the species through responsible captive breeding rather than wild collection.

Our Specimen:

Given name: TBD

Sex: Female

Life stage: Adult