Huntsman Spiders in the US: Size, Bites and Where They Live
A huntsman spider is a large, flat, fast-running brown spider (family Sparassidae) with legs that spread sideways like a crab’s, and in the US it is mainly the pantropical huntsman of Florida, the Gulf Coast and Hawaii. Adults have a body about an inch long and a leg span of 3 to 5 inches. They build no web, hunt cockroaches at night and are not dangerous: a bite is rare, painful and brief.
Huntsman spiders owe their reputation to Australia, where they are a fixture on house walls and car sun visors. The US has far fewer species, and the one people find indoors is an introduced tropical spider that cannot survive freezing winters. The other American sparassids, the native giant crab spiders (Olios), live in the desert Southwest.
Huntsman spider or something else?
A big brown spider on a wall is usually one of five things. The quickest separators are leg span, whether it climbs walls, and the leg markings.
| Pantropical huntsman | Giant crab spider (Olios) | Wolf spider | Dark fishing spider | Brown recluse | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Body length | 22 to 28 mm (about 1 inch) | Not given; leg span 50 to 64 mm | Carolina wolf female 22 to 35 mm | Female 15 to 26 mm | About 3/8 inch (9 to 10 mm) |
| Leg span | 3 to 5 inches | 2 to 2 1/4 inches | Not given by sources used | Over 3 inches in large females | About a US quarter |
| Legs | Spread forwards and sideways; black spots at the base of each spine | Held at right angles to the body | Stout, often banded and spiny | Banded | Uniform colour, no spines or bands |
| Body | Flattened, brown, little pattern; pale band round the head region | Medium to light brown, flattened | Dark brown with grey or yellow stripes | Grey to brown, chevrons | Tan to dark brown, violin mark |
| Climbs walls and ceilings? | Yes | Yes, often high on walls | No, a ground spider | Yes, rests on tree trunks | Hides in clutter |
| Where in the US | Subtropical Florida, Texas, California; coastal Georgia and South Carolina; Hawaii | Arizona and the Southwest deserts | Throughout the US (about 240 species) | Eastern US, on tree trunks | South central and Midwestern states |
| Medically significant? | No | No | No | No | Yes, occasionally |
Compiled by The Pest Control Brief from UF/IFAS EENY-160, the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Penn State Extension, Mississippi State University Extension, University of Kentucky Entomology and UC Riverside.
The recluse comparison matters most, because UF/IFAS notes the huntsman is sometimes mistaken for a large brown recluse, though it is neither related nor dangerous. UC Riverside’s recluse guide gives two quick rules: a spider with a body over half an inch long is not a recluse, and one with more than one colour on its legs is not a recluse. A huntsman fails both. Our spider identification guide covers recluses and widows in full, and our wolf spider and fishing spider pages cover the other two big look-alikes.
What is a huntsman spider?
Huntsman spiders are the family Sparassidae, hunting spiders that do not use webs to catch prey. The Australian Museum explains the defining feature: instead of bending vertically, the leg joints are twisted so the legs spread forwards and sideways in crab-like fashion, which is why they are also called giant crab spiders. The flattened body lets them squeeze into narrow gaps under bark, in rock crevices and behind furniture.
The pantropical huntsman, Heteropoda venatoria
This is the huntsman most Americans see. UF/IFAS describes a large brown spider with a flattened body and very little pattern on its back. Both sexes have a yellow to cream face and a wide pale band round the edge of the head region, and males have a dark stripe down the abdomen. The best field mark is on the legs: distinct black spots, each with a single erect spine growing from it. Otherwise the spider is not conspicuously hairy.
Females have the larger body, especially the abdomen, while males have longer legs. A female carries a flat, disc-like egg sac about 1.5 cm (3/4 inch) across under her body, holding more than 200 eggs, and UF/IFAS notes that the bulky sac probably keeps her fairly still while she has it. UF/IFAS also records the old names giant crab spider and banana spider, the second from its occasional appearance in marketed bananas.
The native giant crab spiders, Olios
The Southwest has its own sparassids. The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum describes the giant crab spider as medium to light brown with a leg span of 2 to 2 1/4 inches, legs often held at right angles, and a fast sideways run. It hides in narrow cracks by day, hunts at night, and lives in dead saguaros, under rocks and in houses throughout Arizona and Sonora. The museum points out that it climbs smooth walls and is often seen high on walls or ceilings, an easy way to tell it from a wolf spider, which does not climb.
How big do huntsman spiders get?
In the US, the pantropical huntsman reaches a body length of 2.2 to 2.8 cm, about an inch, with a leg span of 7 to 12 cm, or 3 to 5 inches, according to UF/IFAS. That makes it as wide as or wider than a big dark fishing spider and noticeably wider than the native Olios. Australian huntsman spiders are bigger still: the Australian Museum gives body lengths of about 2 cm for females with leg spans up to 15 cm, roughly 6 inches.
Are huntsman spiders poisonous or dangerous?
No. Huntsman spiders have venom for subduing insects, but UF/IFAS states the pantropical huntsman is not a dangerous spider. It can give a locally painful bite, sometimes with noticeable swelling, to someone who handles it carelessly or traps it by accident, for example in a shoe. The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum says the same of Olios: reportedly painful, but not dangerous to humans.
What a huntsman bite actually does
The best evidence comes from Australia, where huntsman bites are common enough to study. Isbister and Hirst (Toxicon, 2003) followed 168 confirmed bites in which the spider was caught and identified, 14 per cent of them by Heteropoda, the same genus as the US species. Pain occurred in every case and was severe in 27 per cent, but the median duration of pain was just 5 minutes. There were no necrotic wounds and no allergic reactions, and the authors concluded the effects came from the mechanical bite rather than the venom.
Three quarters of those bites (76 per cent) happened because the spider was picked up, caught in clothing or picked up with an object, and 95 per cent were on arms or legs. In other words, huntsman spiders bite when grabbed. If a bite causes more than brief local pain, or a mark that spreads or blisters, see a doctor; our bite identification guide explains why many supposed spider bites turn out to be something else.
Do huntsman spiders bite?
Rarely, and almost always in self-defence. Like other spiders, they do not seek out people, and UC IPM notes that spiders generally bite only when squeezed, lain on or otherwise provoked. Fears of being bitten while asleep are covered in our guide to whether spiders bite in your sleep.
Where do huntsman spiders live in the US?
UF/IFAS gives the pantropical huntsman’s US range as subtropical Florida, Texas and California, plus coastal Georgia and South Carolina. It is presumed to have come from Asia. Because it is cold-sensitive, it cannot live outdoors where winters freeze; further north it turns up only in greenhouses and other heated buildings. In southern Florida it has gone wild, and UF/IFAS reports it common in avocado groves around Homestead. UC Riverside notes it is found most often in Florida and occasionally in other Gulf Coast states.
Our iNaturalist data shows where people actually photograph it. Hawaii has the highest rate by far, followed by Florida, which also has the most records (1,891). Every other state is a small fraction of that.
Florida’s other household pests, from palmetto bugs to ghost ants, are covered in our guide to common house bugs in Florida.
Why are there huntsman spiders in my house?
Shelter and food. UF/IFAS says the flat body lets this large spider fit into surprisingly small cracks and, with its adaptability to human dwellings, explains its frequent occurrence in houses, barns, sheds and under boards. In warm weather it lives in and around buildings; in cold weather it moves indoors, under furniture or cabinets, behind wall hangings, and in closets and garages.
Food is the other half. UF/IFAS notes that huntsman spiders are highly valued in tropical countries because they catch and eat cockroaches and other household insect pests. A huntsman that stays in a house is usually finding prey there, and in Florida that often means the large outdoor cockroaches covered in our page on palmetto bugs.
What do huntsman spiders eat?
Insects, caught by speed rather than silk. UF/IFAS describes them using great speed and strong jaws to capture prey, with venom injected from glands that extend from the jaws back into the front body section. Cockroaches are the prey that makes them welcome in the tropics. They hunt at night: UF/IFAS notes their eyes reflect a headlamp beam as blue spots on tree trunks and the ground, much like wolf spiders’ eyes.
When are huntsman spiders seen?
All year in the pantropical huntsman’s range: UF/IFAS says all stages of development appear to occur together throughout the year. Our season index reflects that. The pantropical huntsman’s line stays fairly flat, with a small rise in winter that mostly reflects people noticing an indoor spider when fewer outdoor animals are about, not more breeding. The native Olios is different: records climb from August and peak in October at more than twice their usual share.
How to get rid of huntsman spiders
For one spider, you do not need a pest control service. UC IPM notes that spiders are mostly beneficial because they feed on pest insects, and that pesticides are not generally needed.
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| One huntsman on a wall | Trap it under a wide jar or container, slide a card underneath and release it outside, or vacuum it, as UC IPM suggests |
| Seen repeatedly indoors | Look for the food supply: cockroaches and other insects. Seal gaps around doors, windows and utility lines and repair screens |
| Living in a garage or shed | Clear clutter, store boxes off the floor and sealed, and wear gloves when moving stored items |
| Female carrying an egg sac | Relocate her outdoors rather than crushing the sac indoors |
| Heavy cockroach activity as well | Deal with the cockroaches first; a German cockroach infestation is a job for a licensed professional |
UC IPM notes that insecticides do not give long-term control of spiders outdoors, and that spraying works only if it hits the spider and is backed up by housekeeping. Foggers are not a fix for spiders. Outdoor lights near doors draw the insects spiders follow, so UC IPM suggests keeping fixtures away from doorways and windows. More general steps are in our guide to getting rid of spiders in the house.
Frequently asked questions
What is a huntsman spider?
A huntsman spider is a member of the family Sparassidae: large, fast, flat-bodied hunting spiders whose legs are twisted to spread forwards and sideways like a crab’s. They build no web. In the US the common one is the introduced pantropical huntsman, Heteropoda venatoria, found in Florida, the Gulf Coast and Hawaii, while native giant crab spiders in the genus Olios live in the Southwest.
Are huntsman spiders poisonous?
They have venom, as almost all spiders do, but UF/IFAS states the pantropical huntsman is not a dangerous spider. In a study of 168 confirmed huntsman bites in Australia, pain lasted a median of 5 minutes, systemic effects occurred in 4 per cent and were minor, and there were no necrotic wounds or allergic reactions. The authors put the effects down to the bite itself rather than venom.
Do huntsman spiders bite?
Rarely, and nearly always because they were handled or trapped against skin. In the Australian study, 76 per cent of bites happened when the spider was picked up, caught in clothing or lifted with an object. UF/IFAS describes the bite of the US species as locally painful, sometimes with swelling. See a doctor if pain lasts or the bite site spreads or blisters.
What do huntsman spiders eat?
Insects and other small invertebrates, caught at night by speed rather than with a web. Cockroaches are a favourite, which is why UF/IFAS says these spiders are highly valued in tropical countries. A huntsman that lives in a house or garage is usually feeding on cockroaches or other insects there, so reducing those insects reduces the reason for it to stay.
How to get rid of huntsman spiders?
Catch a single spider under a wide jar, slide a card underneath and release it outside, or vacuum it. To stop repeat visits, seal gaps around doors and windows, repair screens, clear clutter in garages and deal with any cockroach problem, which is what draws them in. UC IPM advises that insecticides give no long-term spider control, and foggers are not a fix.
Sources
- University of Florida IFAS Extension, EENY-160, Pantropical Huntsman Spider, Heteropoda venatoria, G. B. Edwards Jr., original 2000, revised 2009 and 2023.
- Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry, Entomology Circular 205, The giant crab spider, Heteropoda venatoria, G. B. Edwards Jr., 1979.
- Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, A Natural History of the Sonoran Desert: Giant Crab Spider.
- Australian Museum, Huntsman Spiders.
- Isbister, G. K. and Hirst, D. 2003. A prospective study of definite bites by spiders of the family Sparassidae (huntsmen spiders) with identification to species level. Toxicon 42(2): 163 to 171.
- University of California Statewide IPM Program, Pest Notes: Spiders (Publication 7442).
- University of California Riverside, How to identify (and misidentify) a brown recluse spider, R. S. Vetter.
- University of Kentucky Entomology, ENTFACT-631, Brown Recluse Spider.
- Penn State Extension, Wolf Spiders; Fishing Spider.
- Mississippi State University Extension, Bug’s Eye View: Dark Fishing Spider, 2022.
- The Pest Control Brief analysis of iNaturalist research-grade records, pulled October 2026.
