What spider has the largest leg span?

What spider has the largest leg span? The giant huntsman spider, Heteropoda maxima. This species from Laos is generally recognized as the world's largest extant spider when size is measured by leg span, which can reach roughly 30 centimeters.

The giant huntsman was described in 2001 by arachnologist Peter Jäger. It belongs to Sparassidae, the huntsman spider family, whose members have unusually long legs that twist forward and give them a crab-like stance. Heteropoda maxima has a relatively modest body compared with its spread of legs: its body length is about 4.6 centimeters, while the legs account for much of its impressive width.

A common mix-up is the Goliath birdeater, which is often called the largest spider because it is exceptionally heavy and has a larger body mass. The giant huntsman wins the specific leg-span comparison. Black widows are far smaller, while Brazilian wandering spiders are large and medically important but do not hold this record.

Despite its intimidating size, the giant huntsman is a fast nocturnal predator that catches insects and other small animals rather than building a large prey-catching web. Its record also depends on the measurement used: leg span, body length, and mass can produce different “largest spider” claims.