Tarantula

Try one of the bug identification websites and see what they come up with

Hello, Martin linked to one of my Pamphobeteus pictures showing the male/female. I can assure you this is not Pamphobeteus. It is Aphonopelma species. It looks to be a freshly molted mature male. The location and shape of carapace is a dead giveaway. When they are freshly molted they will be slightly more colorful and the right angle of the sun/flash can exaggerate the colors. I hope you left him on his quest to find females! Cheers -Chad

Has a purple leg been spotted in Texas before? I could very well be looking in the wrong places, but this guy is a long way from home- most of the info I have looked up says he should be living in places like Peru and Ecuador. Quixotic, the park rangers where you spotted this would likely be very interested.

hi Nehemiah...i had thought about the possiblity of an escaped pet ...but as rightly mentioned by martin ...the old world Theraphosids do not have urticating hairs ...and this spotting clearly displays urticating hair ... so most probably making it a New world specie :)

I expect this is a new world (American) species and definately a male. The wiki link lists several possible species but I would not pretend to know more accurately. The larger female is brown as shown here. http://www.flickr.com/photos/76845739@N03/8127855269/in/faves-_papilio/ The body and legs are very hairy. All Asian tarantulas are less hairy and do not have "urticating" hairs. Therefore I doubt that Haplopelma is our culprit. Its a spectacular sighting.

Could it be an escaped pet? How long could a Cobalt Blue survive in the wild in Texas?

Very striking!

Then it cannot be a Cobalt Blue Tarantula ... as it is native to Myanmar and Thailand.

is it a pet tarantula of did you spot it in the wild?

Beautiful Tarantula!

These Cobalt Blue Tarantulas are very interesting! Glad you found one!

0_0 SPEECHLESS!