Cyriopagopus
Cyriopagopus is a Southeast Asian tarantula genus first described by French arachnologist Eugène Simon in 1887, with Cyriopagopus paganus designated as the type species.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, closely related Asian tarantulas were split among several genera, including Selenocosmia, Haplopelma, Melopoeus, Lampropelma, and Omothymus. As more material was studied, it became clear that many of these taxa were very similar, and their boundaries were poorly defined.
A major turning point came when A.M. Smith and others re-examined the type material. They showed that the defining features of Haplopelma actually matched those of Cyriopagopus, making Cyriopagopus the senior synonym. As a result, Haplopelma (a name long used in the hobby) was formally sunk into Cyriopagopus, and many familiar “Haplopelma” species were transferred into Cyriopagopus. This arrangement is followed by the World Spider Catalog and other major taxonomic databases.
Despite this, the whole Ornithoctoninae group (which includes Cyriopagopus and several allied genera) is still considered taxonomically messy and “in urgent need of revision,” with ongoing debate over where some species truly belong. Modern DNA-based work is expected to clarify these relationships in the future.
Today, Cyriopagopus comprises a small number of officially accepted species (around nine as of recent catalogs), all confined to tropical Southeast Asia from Myanmar and Thailand through Vietnam, Malaysia, Borneo, and the Philippines.
Cyriopagopus hainanus
Common name(s): Chinese Bird Spider, Chinese Giant (Black) Earth Tiger, White Beard Earth Tiger
Origin: Endemic to Hainan Island off the southern coast of China, where it occurs on steep, south-facing tropical mountain slopes.
Lifestyle: Old World, fossorial “earth tiger” – a deep-burrowing species that lines its burrow with silk and often lays out silk trip-lines. Largely nocturnal, emerging at night to ambush large invertebrate prey.
Adult size: A very large tarantula. Most adults reach roughly 6–7" (15–18 cm) diagonal leg span, with big females sometimes approaching 8" (~20 cm).
Growth rate: Medium growth rate for an Asian fossorial species – faster than many New World terrestrials but not an extreme “speed grower.” With warm temps and steady feeding, slings reach maturity in a few years.
Temperament: Very defensive, high-strung Old World tarantula with medically significant venom. More inclined to threat postures and rapid strikes than retreat; strongly recommended for experienced keepers only and never for handling.
Color & appearance: A massive, robust “black earth tiger” with thick legs and a heavy body. Adults are typically dark brown to jet-black overall, sometimes with a slightly lighter carapace, a reddish-brown sternum, and subtle tiger-like striping across the abdomen. The combination of size, glossy dark legs, and earth-tiger patterning gives this species a very imposing, armored look.
Species History
Cyriopagopus hainanus is a large, fossorial tarantula endemic to Hainan Island in southern China. It was first described in 1999 as Selenocosmia hainana by Liang, Peng, Huang & Chen, based on specimens from Tongshi County, Hainan.
As more Chinese theraphosids were studied, the species was shuffled through several genera. In 2001 it was transferred to Ornithoctonus as O. hainana, then moved again in 2003 to Haplopelma (H. hainanum), a name that became widely used in the hobby.
A broader re-evaluation of Southeast Asian “earth tigers” later showed that many so-called Haplopelma species actually belong in Cyriopagopus. In 2015 the species was formally placed in Cyriopagopus as C. hainanus, which is the name now followed by the World Spider Catalog and major taxonomic databases.
Today, C. hainanus is recognized as a highly venomous “Chinese bird spider,” famous in venom research for its complex cocktail of hainantoxins, and in the hobby under common names like Chinese Black Earth Tiger and Chinese Giant Black Earth Tiger.
Natural Habitat
Cyriopagopus hainanus is endemic to Hainan Island off the southern coast of China, where it occupies warm, humid tropical rainforest in the island’s mountainous interior. It is known from very steep, south-facing mountain slopes (often 75–85°), where stable, well-drained soil allows it to construct deep burrows. A strictly fossorial species, it lives in silk-lined burrow systems, sometimes with radiating “trip lines” at the entrance, remaining hidden by day and emerging at night to ambush passing prey—primarily large insects and other small animals.
Our Specimen
Given name: Karen
Sex: Female
Life stage: Adult
Size: Approximately 6 inches
Highly defensive and unpleasant
Somewhat of a consistent eater
Beautiful earth tiger with dark coloration. An impressive and intimidating specimen.
