Louisiana’s largest-looking spiders include the southern house spider, dark fishing spider, giant golden orbweaver, Carolina wolf spider and Texas brown tarantula. They do not form a definitive scientific ranking: body length, leg span, sex and measurement methods differ. The list below keeps those measurements separate and explains how to identify each species without confusing a harmless large spider with a medically important recluse.
How to interpret the five-spider list
The five species come from the article Discover 5 of the Biggest Spiders in Louisiana, published August 28, 2022, and updated November 6, 2025. Its order is a reader-friendly comparison, not the result of a standardized survey of every Louisiana spider. A spider with a long-legged body can have a much larger span than a stockier spider with a longer body, so those measurements should never be combined into one number.
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“Body length” means the spider’s body measurement, while “leg span” includes the legs. Sex matters greatly in several species, especially the golden orbweaver. Extension and agency records provide useful corroboration for some entries, but there is no published statewide count of large spiders or single survey measuring all five under identical conditions.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute| Species | Reported body length | Reported leg-inclusive span | Identification and behavior | Evidence scope |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kukulcania hibernalis Southern house spider |
Female about 0.75 in; male up to 0.50 in | About 2 in | Dark brown to grayish brown; web builder around buildings | Dimensions and Louisiana listing from the A-Z Animals article; LSU AgCenter supports the frequent brown-recluse misidentification warning. |
| Dolomedes tenebrosus Dark fishing spider |
Up to 1 in in the article; Penn State reports females 15–26 mm and males 7–13 mm | More than 3 in in the article; University of Minnesota reports up to 3.5 in including legs | Brown-gray, variable markings and banded legs; active hunter | Louisiana listing from the article; size and behavior cross-checked with Minnesota and Penn State extension material, not a Louisiana population survey. |
| Trichonephila clavipes Giant golden orbweaver |
Female averages 1.5 in and reaches 2 in (51 mm); male averages 0.25 in (6 mm) | Up to 4 in in the article | Yellow, white and black female with long yellow legs; golden silk web | LSU AgCenter documents the species and a female in West Feliciana Parish in September 2019. |
| Hogna carolinensis Carolina wolf spider |
Up to 1.4 in | 3–4 in | Mottled brown-gray; ground-hunting spider rather than a prey-catching web builder | Dimensions and traits in the A-Z Animals article; the reviewed official sources did not independently confirm its exact dimensions. |
| Aphonopelma hentzi Texas brown tarantula |
About 2 in | Up to 4 in | Hairy brown tarantula; terrestrial and slow moving | LSU AgCenter identifies it as Louisiana’s only true tarantula; the wildlife agency records it in Bienville Parish. |
1. Southern house spider (Kukulcania hibernalis)
Southern house spiders are often encountered where people notice them first: around masonry, windowsills, attics, basements and other sheltered parts of buildings. Their dark brown to grayish-brown appearance and relatively long legs can make them look imposing, particularly when a female is sitting in or near her web.
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Louisiana identification requires restraint because this species is among those most commonly mistaken for brown recluses. A brown or gray spider, a pale mark or a vaguely violin-shaped pattern is not enough to establish the diagnosis. LSU AgCenter entomologist Christopher Carlton states that correct identification by a qualified entomological diagnostician is an essential first step in assessing a suspected recluse and deciding whether management is needed.
That advice is practical, not merely academic. Do not handle an unidentified spider to obtain a closer look, and do not treat a house, shed or attic as infested with recluses based on a photograph or a single color feature. A clear image, the location where the spider was found and a qualified identification are more reliable than a quick visual comparison.
2. Dark fishing spider (Dolomedes tenebrosus)
The dark fishing spider has brown-gray coloration, variable markings and conspicuously banded legs. It is an active hunter, so it does not depend on a sticky prey-catching web in the way an orbweaver does. Its size can look different from one reference to another because some descriptions give body length, while others report a measurement including the legs.
The common name can also mislead. A dark fishing spider may be associated with wet habitats, but Penn State Extension notes that it is often found in wooded settings away from water. Seeing one indoors or in a dry part of a yard does not automatically rule it out.
University of Minnesota Extension describes the species as large but says it does not harm people. That does not mean an unidentified spider should be picked up; it means size alone is not evidence of dangerousness. Its banded legs and hunting behavior are more useful clues than the word “fishing” in its common name.
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3. Giant golden orbweaver, or banana spider (Trichonephila clavipes)
This is the most visually distinctive member of the group. Adult females have a yellow, white and black pattern, long slender yellow legs with hairy black bands and black tips, and a silver carapace. Their silk can give a mature web a golden appearance, which is the source of the “golden orbweaver” name.
The web itself can be enormous compared with the spider’s body: LSU AgCenter says a female web may span more than 3 feet (1 meter). A web stretched between shrubs, trees or other supports is therefore a better first clue than trying to estimate the spider from a distance.
The size difference between the sexes is extreme. LSU’s figures show a female averaging about 1.5 inches (38 mm) in body length and reaching 2 inches (51 mm), while males average about one-quarter inch (6 mm) in body length. A small spider on or near a large golden web may be a male of the same species, not a different small species.
LSU AgCenter documented a female in West Feliciana Parish in September 2019. That record confirms Louisiana occurrence without implying that every parish has the same abundance or that the species is present in equal numbers statewide.
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4. Carolina wolf spider (Hogna carolinensis)
Carolina wolf spiders are mottled brown-gray spiders with a darker abdominal stripe. Unlike orbweavers, they hunt on the ground rather than building a large prey-catching web. A spider running across leaf litter, a porch or a garage floor may therefore be a wolf spider even when no web is visible.
The dimensions listed for this species in the source article are up to 1.4 inches in body length and a 3–4-inch leg span. Those exact figures should be treated as reported dimensions rather than as the result of a standardized Louisiana measurement program; the reviewed official and extension sources did not independently confirm them.
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5. Texas brown tarantula, or Louisiana tarantula (Aphonopelma hentzi)
LSU AgCenter identifies Aphonopelma hentzi as the only true tarantula occurring in Louisiana. The source article reports about 2 inches of body length and up to a 4-inch span, making it one of the state’s most substantial spiders by either a body-based or leg-inclusive comparison.
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The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries lists the Texas brown tarantula in Bienville Parish. That parish record establishes presence, but it does not demonstrate that the species is common throughout central and north-central Louisiana or evenly distributed across the state.
Large wolf spiders and nursery web spiders are often mistaken for tarantulas. A genuine tarantula is generally recognized by its robust, densely hairy body and heavy legs, but identification from a quick glance remains uncertain. Avoid touching one; give it room and have an expert confirm the species if the identification matters.
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- Keep your distance. Do not handle the spider, trap it against your skin or disturb a web just to obtain a better view.
- Record the setting. Note whether it was indoors, on masonry, in a basement, in vegetation, on the ground, in a wooded area or in a large aerial web.
- Separate body length from span. A long-legged spider can look larger without having a longer body. Do not compare a leg-inclusive estimate for one species with a body-only estimate for another.
- Look for behavior. A golden web suggests an orbweaver; a ground-running spider suggests an active hunter such as a wolf or fishing spider; a sheltered building web is consistent with a southern house spider.
- Note sex when possible. The male golden orbweaver is dramatically smaller than the female, so sex can change the expected size more than species does.
- Use qualified confirmation for high-stakes decisions. If you suspect a recluse or need to decide on treatment, removal or medical follow-up, obtain an identification from a qualified entomological diagnostician rather than relying on a “violin” marking or a casual online comparison.
Are these spiders dangerous?
The five species are generally not considered a major threat to people based solely on their size. Large appearance is not a measure of venom risk, and the reviewed material does not support diagnosing medical danger from color, leg span or a single photograph.
Do not deliberately provoke any spider. If a bite is suspected, wash the area, avoid squeezing or cutting the skin and seek medical advice for severe pain, spreading swelling, breathing difficulty, fever or other concerning symptoms. Preserve a photograph or the safely contained specimen only if doing so does not require handling the spider.
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A useful size comparison outside the five
The green lynx spider (Peucetia viridans) is not one of the five species in the Louisiana comparison, but LSU AgCenter provides a helpful scale reference. Females may reach 20 mm in body length, while males average 12 mm. LSU calls it the largest member of the lynx spider family in North America. That family-level distinction does not make it one of Louisiana’s five largest spiders overall.
What the evidence can—and cannot—tell you
The measurements above describe individual spiders or reported species ranges. They are not population averages, statewide abundance estimates or proof that one species is consistently larger than another under every measurement method. Age, sex, posture and whether the legs are included can all change the apparent result.
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For a practical identification, start with habitat and behavior, then use markings and proportions, and finally obtain expert confirmation when a recluse diagnosis or control decision is involved. That approach is more dependable than treating the five names as a strict state ranking.
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