News & Views
What explains the bright colouration of tarantulas?
A cobalt blue tarantula (Hapolpelma lividum), with brilliant cobalt blue hair-like setae on its legs.
Image provided by Bastian Rast.
Just why are some tarantulas so vividly coloured? Scientists have puzzled over the possible reasons that these large, hairy spiders, which are active primarily during the evening and at night-time, would sport such vibrant blue and green colouration - especially as they were long thought to be unable to differentiate between colours, let alone possess true colour vision.
Now however, researchers from Yale-NUS College and Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in the USA may well have solved this puzzle: their conclusions are that these vibrant blue colours may be used to communicate between potential mates, while green colouration confers the ability on these tarantulas to conceal themselves amongst foliage.