Big and Greedy, the Pink Brazilian Bloom | Russo Reviews

Pamphobeteus sp. platyomma, the Pink Brazilian Bloom Tarantula

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My approximately ~5 inch DLS male Platyomma

The Pink Brazilian Bloom (PBB, or Platyomma as it'll be referred to in this article), one of the biggest, hungriest, and greediest tarantulas on the planet. They are adored by keepers due to the splendid shiny pink and purple hues of the males, their large size, and their intensely fast growth rate. Are these guys worth their praise? I'll dive into that and so much more in this Russo Review, where I review tarantula species based off my own experiences.

STATS:

Latin/Scientific Name: Pamphobeteus sp. platyomma

Common Name: Pink Brazilian Bloom Tarantula (PBB/Platyomma)

Living Style: Terrestrial Behemoth / Opportunistic Burrower

Endemic: Ecuador and Brazil

Urticating Hair Intensity: Both Type I and Type III present.

World Type: New World

Venom Potency: Medium

Stereotypical Temperament: Skittish and/or Defensive

I currently have one Platyomma in my collection to date, an approximately five-inch DLS male named Wok (named by a friend). I received Wok at a reptile show as only a half-inch sling in July of 2023, and since then he has been my introduction to large, heavy Behemoth Terrestrial tarantulas. Something to note about the Platyomma and the Pamphobeteus genus in general is that they are ferocious eaters, and even as slings can and will tackle prey much larger than themselves. This causes Pamphos to eat like their abdomen is a black hole right up until they molt. I was displayed this intense feeding response very early on, and the first day I took Wok home I placed a mealworm in his enclosure, which he took down no questions asked. Pamphobeteus slings also have a very unique appearance, with a usual pinkish-

My Platyomma sling enjoying his first mealworm.

blue carapace, dark legs and a sort of "black Christmas-tree pattern" on the abdomen. Wok kept this pattern up until about four inches DLS when he began to show his adult coloration instead. Each and every molt revealed new, bright colors that (at this point) I had never seen on a tarantula.  I set him up originally in a small critter keeper with plenty of room to burrow, and he did make a small hole, nothing impressive. Something else to note about this species is my Platyomma never really webbed anything. However, I have seen him constructing a molt-mat¹ before molting usually about a day later. I then moved him to a small acrylic enclosure and remained there until his reason molt when II rehoused him into a larger acrylic enclosure. Wok was always very skittish and any time I moved in front of the enclosure would rush to the safety and darkness of his burrow, even today. As like most Pamphobeteus, Wok loves to kick urticating hairs off of his abdomen. This causes me, like with many of my New World species, to wear gloves whenever I'm doing enclosure maintenance or rehousing. Showers are your best friend once a Pamphobeteus is in your collection! Of course, every tarantula is different, but I did obtain a particularly spicy Pampho that only got feistier with size. Now, Wok prefers to kick hairs and bolt rather than standing his ground, but that presents itself with its own set of issues, such as escape attempts. These guys aren't slow either, and the Platyomma is considered a ladder species² in the tarantula hobby, allowing keepers to ready themselves for the likes of species such as Theraphosa stirmi/blondi (colloquially known as, "Goliath bird-eaters") or, to make the jump to Old World species. It's important to note that while the venom of the Platyomma is not considered medically significant, it is more likely to kick the

My BPB out and about.

urticating setae³ off its abdomen at a keeper. These urticating hairs, (particularly Type III and higher, which are present on Pamphobeteus) are irritating to human skin and will cause inflammation akin to an allergic reaction as they are lodged into the skin. As aforementioned, a shower and quick handwashing can soothe the irritation, as well as taking over-the-counter allergy medication such as Benadryl. However, a person can encounter serious medical issues if the urticating hairs of a tarantula, especially those as fine as they are on the Platyomma, get lodged in unfortunate places such as a keeper's eyes, nose, mouth, or even in the trachea/lungs. Seek emergency care immediately if you suspect you have inhaled urticating hairs. Moving forward, the Platyomma's urticating hairs are considered to be less irritating than that of the Theraphosa, or "Goliath bird-eaters" to which the hairs have been compared to fiber glass in intensity. To further on, it is possible to develop a more intense reaction to urticating hairs as you are exposed to them, so it is a wise rule of thumb to take preventative measures before working with any New World species, especially the Platyomma. Wearing gloves, long sleeves/pants, eyeglasses, and or a surgical mask can greatly reduce the risk of skin irritation or worse.

My REAALLLY fat Platyomma sling. I mean, look at that carapace-to-abdomen ratio!

As a result, the setup of a proper enclosure and a "lock-in" on your husbandry can allow you to minimize issues with the Platyomma. Of course, the biggest issue with first-time Platyomma owners is just the sheer size they can get. Male Platyommas can reach over seven inches in leg span before maturing, and females can get even larger, averaging eight to nine inches. These also pack on size extremely quickly, reaching over four inches in a single year. As a result, an appropriate sized enclosure is more than necessary. Expect to rehouse these guys a lot. Along with this, Pamphobeteus species are considered moisture dependent species. This means they require moist substrate and potentially a larger water dish in their enclosure to keep up humidity. Although it may be tempting, do NOT restrict ventilation to keep up humidity. Enclosures without ventilation are a sure way to kill a tarantula fast. To keep up these humidity and moisture requirements, always make sure the water dish is full. My Platyomma always has half of his substrate moist, and the entire bottom is moist. If the tarantula starts to feel dehydrated, you may see your Platyomma hugging the moist corner, and or hovering around the water dish. As all tarantulas, PBBs are nocturnal, and you will often see them

My Platyomma sitting on a few leaves.

scouring around their enclosures at night, out exploring. Overall, Pamphobeteus aren't as rare as they used to be, and I'll often see one or two Pamphos, with the Platyomma usually being one of them at almost any tarantula stand at an event. They are a little more on the expensive side, with common prices ranging between $65 and $90 USD. Overall, however, do not let this dismay you from picking up a Platyomma, as they are excellent tarantulas. One of the only species that may entice keepers to actually keep mature males of this species outside of breeding projects due to their raw elegance. This extreme sexual dimorphism and beauty makes the Platyomma especially very sought after. Despite their larger size and somewhat spicy attitude, they are considered an intermediate species. I personally disagree with this classification, as I would place them a little closer to the Advanced sector. For one, these tarantulas grow ridiculously fast, and in the right conditions can even surpass four inches in a year as aforementioned. They have specific moisture needs which many other tarantulas don't share and are really only a step below that of Theraphosa. In addition, their particularly nasty urticating hairs and their lack of hesitation can really throw a new keeper under the bus if an adult Pamphobeteus is just thrown into their hands.

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Nonetheless, I feel as the Platyomma, or a related species in the Pamphobeteus genus, such as Pamphobeteus machala, Pamphobeteus antinous, or Pamphobeteus fortis are staple species in any tarantula keeper's possession. As aforementioned they do have some moisture requirements but are a great stepping-stone to those who want to eventually keep Theraphosa and other large South American behemoth terrestrials. As individuals, they are absolutely stunning in coloration, especially the males. The females unfortunately do not have this splendid coloration, being instead shades of black, brown, and tan. Sometimes however, the females will have streaks of purple or pink, though this seems to be only in certain specimens. This creates a unique dynamic with the PBB and Pamphobeteus as a whole where the males may be more desirable to some than the females; a complete role-reversal of the usual circumstance. My final Russo Review rating for the Pamphobeteus sp. platyomma or PBB, is a four out of five stars.

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Glossary

1 - molt mat

• A layer of webbing laid on the substrate by certain tarantulas prior to molting. This can be accompanied by the kicking of urticating hairs around the molt-mat to protect the vulnerable tarantula.

2 - ladder species

• A beginner or intermediate species that is often used as a "stepping-stone" in order for a keeper to gain the experience necessary for more advanced species. For example, someone beginning with an Grammastola pulchripes moving to a Pamphobeteus sp. platyomma and finally to a Theraphosa blondi.

3 - (urticating) setae

• setae are sensory organs that line the exoskeleton of a tarantula. They visually appear as hairs and are primarily used for sensing minute vibrations around them.

  • Urticating setae are specialized barbed setae usually found on the abdomen of most New World tarantulas. These hairs are either kicked off, (or rubbed off onto webbing in the case of Avicularia) as a means of defense. These hairs are skin/eye irritants and can even kill invertebrates and small vertebrates.

    • There are exceptions to the New World = urticating hairs rule, namely genera such as Psalmopoeus and Neoholothele. In addition, species in the genus Ephebopus have urticating hairs on their chelicerae rather than the abdomen.