Which crustacean is the largest living land arthropod?

The coconut crab is the largest living land arthropod.

Also called the robber crab, it can weigh several kilograms and reach a leg span of roughly 1 metre. Its powerful claws can crack coconuts, although its diet also includes fruit, seeds, carrion and other organic material.

Coconut crabs are terrestrial descendants of hermit crabs. Young individuals use discarded shells for protection, but adults develop a hardened abdomen and no longer depend on a portable shell. They retain a connection to the sea because reproduction begins with larvae released into marine water.

Adults live on islands and coastal areas across parts of the Indian and western Pacific oceans. Despite their name, coconut crabs do not spend their lives in the ocean. They are vulnerable to overharvesting because they grow slowly and reproduce only after reaching maturity.