A terrestrial, burrow- and web-associated tarantula from the island of Socotra. Silk can connect the retreat, substrate, and nearby structures into a broad working area.
Species profile · Belinda
Monocentropus balfouri
Meet Belinda
Belinda is the second Monocentropus balfouri currently in my care. Her updated portrait clearly shows her blue and cream colouring across webbed cork.
Scientific nameMonocentropus balfouri
FamilyTheraphosidae
Native rangeSocotra, Yemen
TaxonomyAccepted species
SexConfirmed female
In the wild
Natural history.
The blue-and-cream colour pattern is shared at species level, but posture, web placement, feeding, and molt history remain individual. That is why Belinda has her own page.
Belinda's vivarium and Codex record are kept separate from Bella's. The page can grow with better portraits without merging the two animals' histories.
Taxonomy and range
Monocentropus balfouri is an accepted theraphosid endemic to Socotra, Yemen. A recent integrative revision retained the species in Monocentropus and documented its island habitat and burrows while reorganising related Arabian and African taxa.
Burrows, shelter, and activity
Field photographs and collection experience both place the species around silk-lined ground burrows. The web can spread through nearby soil and structure, joining several entrances into a concealed working area that is far larger than the visible spider.
Feeding ecology
Arthropods are taken by ambush at or beyond the retreat. Captive animals can tolerate close neighbours when conditions are carefully managed, but wild social organisation remains insufficiently studied and Belinda's record should not be merged with Bella's.
Defence, senses, and movement
There are no urticating hairs. Concealment, speed, and defensive posturing are more relevant, while the contrasting blue-and-cream colour is most obvious only when the animal leaves cover.
Conservation context
Status, trade & uncertainty.
IUCN evaluates extinction risk; CITES regulates international trade. They answer different questions, and missing data should remain visible.
Not Evaluated
No species-level assessment was located in IUCN Red List version 2026-1.
Not CITES-listed
The species was not found in the CITES Appendices checked in September 2026.
What the evidence supports
Monocentropus balfouri is endemic to Socotra. An island range concentrates the global population geographically, while published work has raised concern about collection and export of Socotran endemics.
Make provenance visible
Document captive-bred provenance and keep Belinda’s record separate from Bella’s. Captive availability does not remove the importance of lawful origin.
Reviewed 14 September 2026 against IUCN Red List version 2026-1 and the live CITES Checklist. “Not Evaluated” is not a low-risk category. National and local rules may be stricter.
Life in the collection
Meet Belinda.
Belinda has her own profile because a shared species does not mean a shared history. Her vivarium video and Codex record document her as an individual, independently from Bella’s photographs and observations.
From Instagram
Posts & reels.
From the channel
Related viewing.
Introvertebrates on YouTube
The science behind a vivarium: Belinda’s new setup
A longer build and husbandry video centred on Belinda’s enclosure.
Personal observations
From the Codex.
Introvertebrates Codex
Belinda · care history
Time in care, feeding records, moults and measurements. These are observations from the Introvertebrates collection, not species-wide averages.
Collection records are not available here yet.
Private notes and identifying details are kept off the website.
Continue exploring
Related profiles.
Read further
Sources.
- World Spider Catalog — Monocentropus balfouriView the source.
- ZooKeys — integrative revision of Monocentropus and Socotran habitatView the source.