It belongs to the genus Poecilotheria. It is commonly known as Peacock Parachute Spider or Gooty Tarantula. It is endemic to India.

• It was sighted for first time way back in 1899 by Reginald Innes Pocock on the basis of a single female specimen in Gooty. It is considered as biological pest controller.
• There is huge demand for tarantulas by collectors in the pet trade. There is an urgent need to protect them.
• The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) categorised it as Critically Endangered.

Recently, it was spotted in a cave in Pakkamalai Reserve Forests (in Eastern Ghats) near Gingee in Villupuram district of Tamil Nadu.