Abdomegaphobema peterklaasi (Costa Rican Ember Tarantula) *VERY RARE*

Abdomegaphobema peterklaasi (Costa Rican Ember Tarantula)

Abdomegaphobema peterklaasi, commonly known as the Costa Rican Ember Tarantula, is a rarely seen New World species from Costa Rica known for its deep black coloration contrasted by glowing red to orange accents along the leg joints. As a spiderling, it starts with a more muted brown base color, lighter hairs, and subtle warm tones in the legs, without the strong contrast seen in adults. With growth, this species develops into a rich, velvety black coloration across the abdomen, legs, and carapace (head), with distinct ember-like highlights at the joints that give it its name. The contrast is especially noticeable under natural light, where the red accents appear to glow against the darker body. This is a stout terrestrial species that shows minimal webbing behavior and relies more on substrate and retreats, moving in a steady, deliberate way and generally maintaining a calm, docile temperament.

Why Hobbyists Keep Abdomegaphobema peterklaasi

• Color contrast: Develops into a deep black adult with distinct red to orange joint highlights that create an ember-like appearance
• Temperament: Generally docile and calm, making it a manageable species compared to more reactive New World tarantulas
• Webbing behavior: Minimal webbing behavior, relying more on burrows and ground retreats than visible web structure
• Adult size and behavior: Reaches a maximum leg span of around 5 to 6 inches, with a stout build and slow, deliberate movement
• Feeding response and activity level: Typically a steady feeder with predictable habits, with most activity centered around feeding and repositioning

Care Overview

• Enclosure: Provide a terrestrial setup with about 3× the leg span as floor space and 2× the leg span as height, with substrate depth around the spider’s leg span to allow for natural retreat use and light burrowing
• Temperature: Maintain between 65–75°F with stable conditions
• Humidity: Keep moderate humidity with slightly moist substrate, allowing the top layer to dry slightly while maintaining moisture deeper in the substrate
• Diet: Feed crickets, roaches, or similar prey sized appropriately to the carapace (head); juveniles and adults typically accept prey readily with a consistent feeding schedule
• Temperament: Generally docile, though may display defensive kicking or spinning behavior when disturbed

Additional Notes or Considerations

This species has been reclassified from the genus Megaphobema into Abdomegaphobema, a change that is still relatively recent and may not be reflected in older listings. Because of this, it may still be encountered under its former classification.

It is significantly less common in the hobby compared to Abdomegaphobema mesomelas, making it harder to source and more appealing to collectors looking for something less frequently available.

Like others in this lineage, it may display defensive kicking or spinning behavior when disturbed. While generally calm, this is a normal response and something to be aware of during enclosure maintenance.

Because this species relies more on substrate and retreats rather than webbing, providing adequate depth and a secure hide will have a direct impact on how comfortable and visible it is within the enclosure.