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Phormingochilus hatihati

🔤 Taxonomy

Phormingochilus hatihati is the current accepted name for the tarantula long sold as Cyriopagopus sp. “Hati Hati” and also seen under Omothymus sp. “Hati Hati”. The 2024 description matters for keepers because this is not a true Cyriopagopus fossorial setup animal; adults are better treated as fast semi-arboreal Old World tarantulas.

English common names used in the hobby:

  • Purple earth tiger
  • Sulawesi violet tarantula
  • Hati Hati

📌 Description

Phormingochilus hatihati is a striking Asian Old World tarantula from Sulawesi. Females can show dark purple to grey-violet legs, strong patterning, and a bold earth-tiger appearance, but it should be planned as a high-speed display spider rather than a visible pet.

Adults are usually around 13-16 cm legspan. Juveniles may burrow near the ground, while larger animals use vertical cork, root-like structures, and webbed retreats. That change with age is the main husbandry trap.

☠️ Venom

This species should be treated as medically significant for practical care. It lacks urticating hairs and relies on speed, retreat, and biting when cornered. Avoid handling entirely, use tools and catch cups, and seek medical advice after a serious bite, allergic reaction, or spreading symptoms.

🌍 Distribution

Phormingochilus hatihati was described from West Sulawesi, Indonesia, including lowland rainforest and plantation-edge contexts. The useful captive signal is not a bare fossorial tub or a dry arboreal cage, but a humid, very secure enclosure with both depth and vertical retreat.

Spiderlings should be allowed to start a burrow. Larger juveniles and adults need cork tubes, angled bark, and anchor points above the substrate so they can shift upward without losing access to moisture below.

Range map

⚖️ Legal status

As checked against current official CITES Appendices and EU wildlife-trade Annex references on 2026-06-01, no current CITES listing or specific EU Annex listing was found for Phormingochilus hatihati. The species is not relevant to the Bern Convention because it is not native to Europe.

Indonesian collection, export, and local wildlife rules may still matter even when a species is not CITES-listed. Keep invoices, seller details, import or transfer paperwork, and the current scientific name with the former Cyriopagopus sp. “Hati Hati” label noted for traceability.

🤌 Husbandry

House this species alone. It is not communal and should be managed as a no-contact Old World tarantula.

Start small juveniles with more substrate depth than a typical arboreal sling, because they may burrow or build a retreat close to the ground. As the spider grows, add vertical cork, angled bark, and anchor points so it can shift into a taller webbed retreat.

Useful care priorities:

  • Locking vertical enclosure
  • Deep base layer for juveniles
  • Cork tube or bark retreat
  • Cross-ventilation
  • Catch cup ready before every opening

Do not dismantle the webbed retreat for routine cleaning. Remove boluses, old prey, and dirty water, but preserve the retreat unless there is mold, collapse, or a real health concern.

💡 Lighting

No specialist lighting or UVB is required. A normal room day-night rhythm is enough. Any plant or display lighting should stay outside the enclosure or be weak enough that it does not overheat or dry the retreat.

🌡 Heating and temperature

A practical daytime range is about 24-28°C, with nights around 21-24°C. Keep the enclosure warm and steady rather than hot.

High heat in a humid vertical enclosure increases dehydration and escape behavior. If extra heat is needed, warm the room or one outside wall gently. Never create a hot dry corner that traps the spider near the top.

💧 Humidity and water

Aim for about 70-85% with constant ventilation. Moisture should be held mostly in the substrate and around the lower retreat, while the upper webbing stays airy.

Water one side or the substrate near the dish so moisture moves downward. Heavy spraying can trigger bolting and leaves wet webbing that spoils airflow.

🌿 Enclosure and decoration

An adult enclosure around 30 x 30 x 45 cm works well when it has both depth and vertical structure. The spider should be able to retreat down into cork or upward into webbing without being forced into open space.

Avoid mesh surfaces, loose doors, weak magnets, and large cable holes. A fast Old World arboreal tarantula can turn a small maintenance gap into a full escape.

🪳 Feeding

Feed roaches, crickets, locusts where legal, and other suitable insects. Juveniles grow well on regular meals; adults usually do well with one appropriately sized prey item every 7-14 days.

Offer prey near the retreat entrance and close the enclosure before the spider commits. Remove prey if it is ignored, especially before a molt.

🧭 Routine care and records

Routine care for Phormingochilus hatihati should be calm, repetitive, and documented. Check the enclosure from the outside first: posture, abdomen shape, webbing, water level, prey remains, mold, condensation, and whether the hide entrance has been sealed. These small observations tell you more than trying to make the tarantula move.

A useful weekly rhythm is simple. Refresh water before it is dirty, remove boluses and uneaten feeders, confirm that ventilation is open, and adjust one moisture area if the enclosure is trending too dry or too wet. Do not rebuild the enclosure every time the spider changes where it sits. Webbing, closed burrow entrances, and long fasts are normal parts of tarantula life, especially around molts.

Keep a short record with the acquisition date, source, molt dates, feeding dates, refused meals, rehousings, and any unusual behavior. The record is not bureaucracy: it helps identify a slow dehydration trend, a molt interval that has changed, or a mature male that has stopped feeding for normal biological reasons. Photos taken during routine checks can also preserve identity features without handling.

Maintenance should be planned before opening the enclosure. Have the feeder cup, long tongs, water bottle, catch cup, lid, and a clear working surface ready. For fast or defensive species, work inside a larger plastic tub or another contained area. The goal is not to test temperament but to finish the job with the spider still secure and unstressed.

🧾 Buying, quarantine, and traceability

Choose captive-produced animals whenever possible and ask for the scientific name used by the breeder, the approximate age or size, molt history if known, and whether the animal is confirmed female, unsexed, or male. Common names are useful for hobby conversation, but they are not enough for records because several unrelated tarantulas share similar trade labels.

Quarantine new arrivals away from the main collection for at least several weeks. Use simple equipment, disposable towels around the work area if needed, and separate feeding tools when there is any concern about mites, phorid flies, mold, or unknown substrate. Quarantine is also a settling period: the spider can establish a retreat, drink, and feed once without being disturbed by display changes.

Inspect the animal without forcing contact. A healthy tarantula should be coordinated, able to grip, and not leaking fluid. A thin abdomen after shipping may improve with water and time, but a collapsed posture, repeated failed molts, visible injury, or heavy parasite load needs experienced help. Do not attempt home treatments with oils, disinfectants, or insecticides inside the enclosure.

Keep invoices, breeder messages, import papers, and photos of the animal and container label. This is especially important for species with recent name changes, corrected spellings, or old hobby names. Good records protect the keeper, help future buyers, and make it easier to update the article and collection label when taxonomy changes.

🩺 Common problems

The main problems are escape, overheating, stagnant wet webbing, dehydration hidden inside a retreat, and risky rehousing.

A defensive posture is not a challenge to test. Close the enclosure and work more slowly later. If rehousing is needed, use a catch cup and a planned route rather than repeated poking.

📌 Conclusion

Phormingochilus hatihati is a specialist display tarantula for keepers who already handle fast Old World maintenance safely. The setup must be secure before purchase: deep base, vertical retreat, water, ventilation, and a no-contact routine.

📚 Sources and further reading