The 7 Biggest Spiders In Florida

From tiny jumping spiders to large huntsman spiders, Florida is home to a diverse spider population. With its temperate climate and plentiful prey, Florida has over 250 species of spiders. While it’s difficult to pinpoint the exact number of native species, the state’s diverse environment supports a wide variety of arachnids. The main venomous spiders in the Sunshine State are three native widow species: Southern black widow, Northern black widow, and red widow, plus the introduced brown widow. The brown recluse is rarely found and not considered established in Florida. Continue reading to discover the seven largest spiders in Florida, including where they live, what they look like, and what they eat.

7. Widow Spiders (Including Southern, Northern, Brown, and Black)

One of the biggest spiders in Florida is the widow spider. Female black widows are known for their red hourglass markings and for their potent venom. Females of this genus are about twice the size of the males. Adult widow spiders’ bodies can reach half an inch in length, with legs up to 1.5 inches across.

Widow spiders weave webs, which they use to catch flying prey like flies, mosquitoes, and crickets. Once trapped, widow spiders bite and envenomate their prey. Luckily, bites on humans are uncommon, and almost never life-threatening.

6. Black-and-yellow Argiope Spider (Argiope aurantia)

One of the most striking of the biggest spiders in Florida, the black-and-yellow argiope frequents gardens and landscaped areas. These web weavers have brilliantly colored thoraxes marked by alternating yellow and brown markings. Their legs are orange and black, and their heads tend to be gray. Males are much smaller than females, which grow up to 1.1 inches long in the body, with legs up to 1.5 inches long. Black-and-yellow argiope spiders are garden favorites due to their ability to cull insect populations.

5. Cellar Spiders (Daddy Long Legs)

Cellar spiders, commonly known as daddy long legs, live throughout the United States.
The long legs that give them their name make them one of the biggest spiders in Florida. Cellar spiders’ bodies grow up to 0.4 inches long, with legs reaching up to 2 inches across. Daddy long legs eat small insects, such as flies and ants. They can be found in most urban settings and are completely harmless to humans.

4. Wolf Spiders

Wolf spiders are among the most common spiders in the world. Female wolf spiders are known for carrying their young (spiderlings) on their backs. These spiders do not build webs. Instead, they hunt by ambush, waiting for insects to pass by. 

Wolf spiders grow up to one inch long, with legs reaching up to two inches. In addition ti their size, they are thick-bodied spiders that look like mini-tarantulas.

3. Six-Spotted Fishing Spider (Dolomedes triton)

Six-spotted fishing spiders have dark brown to black bodies with white or tan stripes on either side of their narrow heads and abdomens. These spiders are 0.75 inches long and have a legspan of 2.5 inches. They eat tadpoles, frogs, and small fish. These are some of the biggest spiders in Florida, found in freshwater environments where suitable prey is available.

2. Pantropic Huntsman Spider (Heteropoda venatoria)

Huntsman spiders, also called giant crab spiders, and banana spiders, aren’t native to the United States. This invasive species is believed to have originated in Asia, arriving in the U.S. in shipments of bananas. They’re one of the biggest spiders in Florida, measuring one inch long with a five-inch legspan. As with most spiders, females are larger than males, though the females’ legs are a bit shorter.

Huntsman spiders are light brown with dark brown markings. Up close, they have a furry appearance and long spikes on their legs. Females carry their egg sacs with them. Each egg sac can contain up to 200 eggs. The huntsman spider preys on large insects, like cockroaches and crickets.

1. Golden Silk Orb-Weaver (Trichonephila clavipes)

The title of biggest spider in Florida goes to the incomparable golden silk orb-weaver. These spiders have long bodies with even longer legs characterized by alternating brown, black, and yellow bands. Their bodies are yellow and can grow up to three inches long. However, their most impressive feature is their legs, which can reach up to 5 inches across. 

These incredible spiders prey mostly on flying insects, like flies, wasps, and bees. Females are much larger than males. Female golden silk orb weavers are the largest orb weavers in the United States. Golden orb-weavers are common in the Southern United States, where they frequently build their webs across hiking trails, much to the consternation of hikers and backpackers.