The giant huntsman spider (Heteropoda maxima, from maximus, meaning “the largest”) is a spider of the Heteropoda genus. It is found in Laos, where it was discovered in 2001. The spider lives in caves.
In December 2008, a World Wide Fund for Nature report states that it is "the world's largest huntsman spider".[1][2]
Appearance
This spider is yellowish-brown with many dark spots on the rear half, in no order. The legs have wide dark bands before the first bend. Like all huntsman spiders, the legs of the giant huntsman spider are long compared to the body, and twist forward in a crab-like way.[3]
It is the largest member of the Sparassidae, with a 30 centimeter (12 inches) leg-span, and 4.6 centimeter body-length.[2] The largest known member of the Sparassidae known prior to the discovery of H. maxima was the Australian Beregama aurea (L. Koch, 1875) with a body length of about 4 centimeters.[4]
References
