<P> The Goliath birdeater ( Theraphosa blondi ) belongs to the tarantula family Theraphosidae . Found in northern South America , it is the largest spider in the world by mass and size , but it is second to the giant huntsman spider by leg - span . It is also called the Goliath bird - eating spider ; the practice of calling theraphosids `` bird - eating '' derives from an early 18th - century copper engraving by Maria Sibylla Merian that shows one eating a hummingbird . Despite the spider 's name , it only rarely preys on birds . </P>
<P> The Goliath birdeater ( Theraphosa blondi ) belongs to the tarantula family Theraphosidae . Found in northern South America , it is the largest spider in the world by mass and size , but it is second to the giant huntsman spider by leg - span . It is also called the Goliath bird - eating spider ; the practice of calling theraphosids `` bird - eating '' derives from an early 18th - century copper engraving by Maria Sibylla Merian that shows one eating a hummingbird . Despite the spider 's name , it only rarely preys on birds . </P>
who is the largest spider in the world
who is the largest spider in the world
The Goliath birdeater
The Goliath birdeater