The discovery has been published in the latest issue of the international taxonomic journal Faunitaxys

The spider was documented during field surveys in East Khasi Hills and South Garo Hills by a team of arachnologists led by Rajesh Sanap of the Thackeray Wildlife Foundation, Mumbai, along with researchers Gautam Kadam (Sacred Heart College, Kochi), Tejas Thackeray, Madhumita Rajkumar (Chennai), and Yogendra Satam (Mumbai)

Describing its ecological role, arachnologist Rajesh Sanap said tarantulas act as key predators in terrestrial ecosystems, helping regulate populations of insects and other arthropods. They also serve as prey for birds, reptiles, mammals, and parasitoid wasps, and contribute to soil health through their burrowing activity and nutrient cycling

What makes the species particularly distinctive is its metallic blue sheen. Researchers note that its legs and abdomen display an iridescent steel-blue coloration, making it one of the more visually striking tarantulas recorded in India

Scientists explain that blue is among the rarest colours in the animal kingdom and is typically produced not by pigments but by microscopic structural features that reflect light, a phenomenon known as structural coloration