Pseudhapalopus sp. Blue
Colombian Bluebottle - complete care guide
Colombian Bluebottle
Temperature
22-26 °C
Target ambient range
Humidity
65-75 %
Substrate / enclosure RH
Adult DLS
6-8 cm
Average - varies per individual
Moult interval
Sling 3-6w - Juv 1.7-2.8mo
Adult 10-14mo
Adult cycle = mature females; males never moult again after maturity
About
The Colombian Bluebottle is an undescribed dwarf from Boyacá, Colombia, sold across the UK hobby as Pseudhapalopus sp. "Blue" - recent Theraphosid Research Team work suggests it actually belongs in Spinosatibiapalpus, so expect the label to shift eventually. The metallic blue sits on the abdomen against grey-brown legs and deepens with every moult; females top out at a dainty 6-8 cm DLS with a calm-but-jumpy demeanour and heavy webbing around their retreat. Tiny 0.5 cm slings need fruit-fly-scale prey, which is the main reason this is rated intermediate rather than beginner. UK captive-bred stock sells out fast - roughly £16 a sling, with sexed sub-adult females commanding £100+ because males are short-lived.
Husbandry cheat sheet
- Origin
- Colombia (Boyacá region)
- Habitat
- Forest floor - leaf litter and root tangles
- Temperament
- Skittish
- In your collection
- 0
Growth, lifespan & conservation
- Growth rate
- Medium
- Maturity
- ♀ 30mo ♂ 24mo
- Lifespan
- ♀ 8yr ♂ 3yr
- Continent
- South America
- UK availability
- Uncommon
Care Guide
Pseudhapalopus sp. Blue
Colombian Bluebottle - a complete husbandry sheet. Use as a starting point and adjust to your individual specimen.
What size enclosure does a Colombian Bluebottle Tarantula need?
Adults
15 × 15 × 15 cm with 5-8 cm of substrate - floor space yes, height no.
Slings & Juveniles
Small tubs with 3-5 cm of substrate and a piece of cork - upgrade only when the leg span crowds the floor.
To map exact floor space and substrate safety limits for your setup, use our free interactive tarantula enclosure planner.
What temperature and humidity does a Colombian Bluebottle Tarantula need?
Heating
22-26 °C - comfortable in most UK rooms year-round; a gentle background heat source only if winter drops under 20 °C.
Humidity
65-75 % - keep one corner of the substrate damp and cycle the rest between moist and just dry. Tolerant of swings if the damp corner never bakes out.
Ventilation
Good cross-flow, fine mesh only - 0.5 cm slings walk straight through coarse mesh. Tiny vents, lots of them.
What substrate is best for a Colombian Bluebottle Tarantula?
Recommended Mixes
Depth
5-8 cm
Notes
Coco fibre works well; top it with leaf litter which they incorporate into their silk mats.
How do you set up a Colombian Bluebottle Tarantula enclosure?
Décor
The Hide
A flat piece of cork or half a flower pot - some barely burrow and instead build a thick silk mat retreat around whatever cover you give them.
Water
A bottle-cap-sized dish - dwarfs need shallow water. Slings get their moisture from misting the webbing lightly once or twice a week.
Lighting
Ambient room light is plenty; the blue reads best with a soft daylight bulb nearby rather than direct lighting.
How often should you feed a Colombian Bluebottle Tarantula?
Good Feeders
Long refusal worrying you? Separate premoult fasting from genuine problems with our "Is my T okay?" checker.
Is my Colombian Bluebottle Tarantula dying or moulting?
Pre-moult signs to look for
Refusing food for weeks is normal before a moult - a healthy Colombian Bluebottle Tarantula fasting is almost never an emergency in itself. Watch for slowing down and spending more time in the hide, laying a thick moult mat of web on the floor. New World species like this one often show a bald spot on the abdomen that darkens to near-black as the new skin underneath readies - a darkening bald patch is a reliable countdown, not a disease.
On its back is MOULTING, not dying
A Colombian Bluebottle Tarantula lying upside down or on its side with legs curled inwards is almost certainly mid-moult. Do not touch it, do not right it, do not mist it - just remove any live prey (crickets can kill a defenceless moulter) and leave the room.
How long between moults?
For this species, expect a moult roughly every 21-42 days for spiderlings, every 50-85 days for juveniles, and every 170-260 days for sub-adults, with adult females moulting around every 10 months (up to 14 months at the extreme). Males never moult again after their ultimate (mature) moult.
After the moult: fang hardening time
The new exoskeleton stays soft, with fangs that cannot grip, for roughly 7 days in this species. Offer no food and no handling for about 7 days - feeding too early is how fresh moulters get injured. The shed exuvium is also the best sexing tool there is - see our tarantula sexing guide for what to look for.
Genuinely worried about behaviour that is not moulting? Our "Is my T okay?" triage tool walks the danger signs one by one.
What ongoing care does a Colombian Bluebottle Tarantula need?
🪞 Moulting
They moult on thick web mats, often sealing themselves in first. Slings moult every 3 weeks; adults 8-12 months. Wait 5-7 days post-moult before feeding. The blue abdominal sheen noticeably deepens after each moult.
🧹 Cleaning
Spot clean boluses from the webbing and refresh the tiny water dish weekly. Their small enclosures dry out fast, so check the damp corner on the same round.
✋ Handling
Calm as adults but bolty and skittish - a sprinting dwarf disappears into floor gaps in seconds. Catch cup only, over a tub, never at height.
What are the most common mistakes when keeping Colombian Bluebottle Tarantulas?
✓ What They Love
- Low-headroom enclosure - dwarfs are fall risks
- One damp substrate corner, the rest just moist
- Fruit flies or pre-killed prey for 0.5 cm slings
- Plenty of surface cover to web against
- Remove uneaten prey after 24 hours
✕ Common Mistakes
- Tall bare enclosures - a fall from height splits small abdomens
- Swampy substrate - damp corner, not a wet box
- Oversized prey - nothing longer than the spider itself
- Cohabiting - cannibalism risk, keep singly
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