What is the largest spider in the world?

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Illustration comparing the sizes of four spider species-the giant huntsman, goliath birdeater, joro spider, and ground wolf spider-shown as silhouettes next to an average adult male hand for scale, with a vertical ruler on the side for precise measurement.

Goliath bird-eating spider (Theraphosa blondi), a large brown tarantula, resting on rough, light-colored tree bark.

Giant huntsman spider

What is the largest spider in the world?: Media

Images

Illustration comparing the sizes of four spider species-the giant huntsman, goliath birdeater, joro spider, and ground wolf spider-shown as silhouettes next to an average adult male hand for scale, with a vertical ruler on the side for precise measurement.

Size comparison of four spider species

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Goliath bird-eating spider (Theraphosa blondi), a large brown tarantula, resting on rough, light-colored tree bark.

Arachnid heavyweight

The goliath birdeater (Theraphosa blondi) is a species of tarantula and...

© asbtkb/stock.adobe.com

Giant huntsman spider

Giant huntsman spider

A superlative arachnid, the giant huntsman spider (Heteropoda maxima) has...

© Chris Howes—Wild Places Photography/Alamy