Sericopelma

Dominik Alexander
Nov 8
4 min read

Sericopelma is a Central American tarantula genus first introduced to science in 1875, when Austrian arachnologist Anton Ausserer described Sericopelma rubronitens (then placed in the broad “catch-all” group Eurypelma). A few years later, in 1892, Eugène Simon elevated Sericopelma to full genus status, but for decades it remained poorly understood and based almost entirely on male specimens.

Throughout the 20th century, Sericopelma was repeatedly confused with other New World tarantula genera, especially Aphonopelma and Brachypelma. Species were shuffled back and forth, and the genus was reported from as far afield as Mexico and Brazil, giving a very misleading picture of its true range.

Modern work in the 2010s finally started to clean things up. Gabriel & Longhorn (2011–2015) re-examined key museum material and clarified how to recognize Sericopelma, especially in females. Their 2015 revision transferred two well-known tarantulas, Brachypelma angustum and Brachypelma embrithes, into Sericopelma and restricted the natural range of the genus to humid forests from Nicaragua through Costa Rica and Panama.

A later molecular study showed that Sericopelma sits very close to, and possibly inside, the large North/Central American genus Aphonopelma, suggesting that generic boundaries may change again as more DNA data becomes available.

Today, the World Spider Catalog recognizes around 14 valid Sericopelma species, making them some of the largest ground-dwelling tarantulas in Central America and increasingly familiar to hobbyists under names like the “Panama Red Rump” and “Costa Rican Red Rump.”

Sericopelma sp. Santa Catalina

Common name: Santa Catalina Tarantula (also sold as Velvety Orange Bird-Eater and Latin Flame Leg Tarantula in the hobby).

Origin: Pacific coast of Panama, centered around the Santa Catalina area in Veraguas Province. This is an undescribed Sericopelma known only from this region in the wild.

Lifestyle: New World terrestrial burrower. In nature it lives in silk-lined burrows and retreats in sloping banks and forest edges; in captivity it behaves as a classic ground-dwelling tarantula that appreciates deep, diggable substrate and a secure hide, sometimes roaming the enclosure at night.

Adult size: Large species. Most captive information puts adults around 7–9 in (18–23 cm) diagonal leg span, with some reports at the upper end of that range.

Growth rate: Slow to moderate. Slings and juveniles grow steadily but not explosively fast compared to some South American “bird-eaters,” reflecting multiple keeper and vendor reports (often listed as slow or moderate growth).

Temperament: Generally calm, confident, and not overly defensive for a large New World tarantula. Many keepers describe captive adults as docile and tolerant, though individuals can be skittish and will kick urticating hairs or threat-pose if cornered—especially freshly imported females. Handling is possible but not recommended as routine, both for the spider’s safety and to avoid irritation from hairs.

Color & appearance: A robust, heavy-bodied tarantula with:

Dark brown to nearly black carapace and femurs
Contrasting orange to copper/pink bands and hairs on the lower leg segments (“flame” or “orange leg” look)
Abdomen clothed in dark setae with long reddish to copper hairs
Overall “velvety” sheen that intensifies with age and size

Species History

Sericopelma sp. “Santa Catalina” is an undescribed Central American tarantula known in the hobby by its locality name rather than a formal scientific species name. It does not yet appear in the World Spider Catalog list of valid Sericopelma species, so “sp. ‘Santa Catalina’” is currently a hobby/field label only.

This striking orange-and-black giant was documented on a 2012 field trip to Panama, where field researchers found a consistently orange-striped population of Sericopelma living in burrows along roadside embankments near Santa Catalina, on the Pacific coast of Veraguas Province. Adult females were noted as large, defensive spiders that would rise up and display their fangs when disturbed.

From the early 2010s onward, animals collected from this locality began appearing in European and North American collections, with some of the first hobby photos dating from 2012. As breeding projects took off, the species became more widely available in captivity, helping reduce pressure on wild populations; field reports now explicitly credit captive breeding with limiting the need for wild-caught exports.

In the trade it’s often sold under descriptive common names such as “Velvety Orange Bird-Eater” or “Latin Flame Leg Tarantula,” reflecting the dark body, bold orange leg rings and impressive adult size (commonly advertised around 7–9″ leg span).

Natural Habitat

Sericopelma sp. “Santa Catalina” is native to the Pacific coast of the Veraguas province in Panama, around the coastal town of Santa Catalina. In the wild it lives as a burrowing terrestrial tarantula, occupying sloping banks, forest edges and roadside embankments where the soil is deep enough to dig retreats.

This region has a tropical monsoon climate: warm temperatures around 26–27°C (79–81°F) year-round and very high annual rainfall (roughly 2,000–3,000 mm), with a long wet season and only a short drier window. Natural burrows are typically humid but well-drained, lined with silk and leaf litter, and often located under roots or stones for extra stability.

The surrounding landscape is a mosaic of evergreen moist/wet forest, secondary growth and open coastal vegetation, reflecting a history of forest clearing but still offering plenty of shaded, sheltered microhabitats for large ground-dwelling spiders.

Our Specimen:

Given name: Sabrina

Sex: Female

Life stage: Adult