Jumping spiders have thousands of species spread throughout the entire world, except Antarctica.
Some are big while others are small. There is a wide range in sizes among different jumping spider species.
This article is about the largest jumping spider species found around the world.
But this article also includes a 10 species comparison table for large jumping spider species as well as some common species to show you the different sizes among varying species.
First, let’s discuss which species of jumping spider is the largest jumping spider in the world.
Largest Jumping Spider Species
The “largest jumping spider species in the world” award goes to the Hyllus giganteus of the Hyllus genus and the Salticidae family of spiders.
The common species name used for us “non-scientists” is the giant jumping spider.
That is a pretty impressive feat considering there are over 6,000 known species of jumping spiders found around the world.
That is a lot of competition for the biggest jumping spider award.
The giant jumping spider is a spider natively found from Australia to Sumatra.
It is a popular jumping spider species among spider enthusiasts and breeders due to its larger size.
Their large size can range from 18 to 25 millimeters (0.71 to 0.99 inches) in length.
They are the closest jumping spider species to reach an inch in length.
Females and males will vary in color but most have black bands across their heads and distinct stripes on the top of their faces – along with two white lines that run down the sides of their bodies.
Largest Jumping Spiders in the United States
The Phidippus genus of jumping spiders is the largest found in the U.S and the most commonly recognized species in America.
Bold, regal, and red-back jumping spiders are among some of the largest jumping spiders found in the United States and all of them are a part of the Phidippus genus.
There are hundreds of species of jumping spiders in North America, so it may be difficult to identify every spider you see.
But other common jumping spiders found in North America include emerald, gray wall, tan, and zebra species – among many others.
How Big Do Jumping Spiders Get?
Jumping spiders have a wide range of sizes. The smallest ones may only be around four millimeters in length while the largest ones (like the giant jumping spider) can be almost an inch long.
Their size depends on many factors that include environment, diet, species, sex, and more.
Jumping Spider Size Comparison Table
Below is a comparison table of 10 different jumping spider species and their average sizes in millimeters for females and males to give you an idea of how jumping spider size varies from species to species.
| Official Name | Common Name | Adult Female Size | Adult Male Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hyllus giganteus | Giant Jumping Spider | 18-25 mm | 18-22 mm |
| Hyllus diardi | Heavy Jumping Spider | 9-18 mm | 8-15 mm |
| Phidippus regius | Regal Jumping Spider | 7-22 mm | 6-18 mm |
| Phidippus audax | Bold Jumping Spider | 8-15 mm | 6-13 mm |
| Platycryptus undatus | Tan Jumping Spider | 9-11 mm | 8-10 mm |
| Paraphidippus aurantius | Emerald Jumping Spider | 8-12 mm | 7-10 mm |
| Menemerus bivittatus | Gray Wall Jumping Spider | 6-10 mm | 6-9 mm |
| Portia fimbriata | Fringed Jumping Spider | 6-10 mm | 5-7 mm |
| Phidippus johnsoni | Red-backed Jumping Spider | 6-10 mm | 4-7 mm |
| Salticus scenicus | Zebra Jumping Spider | 5-9 mm | 5-6 mm |
It is important to note that people often confuse Hyllus diardi with Hyllus giganteus jumping spiders.
With that confusion, Hyllus diardi has also been called the giant jumping spider.
If you see Hyllus diardi referred to as the giant jumping spider on other sites, that is why they refer to them as giant jumping spiders as well as heavy jumping spiders.
As you can see from the table above, jumping spiders have a wide range of sizes with some being really small while others can be triple to quadruple the smaller-sized spiders.
Are the Largest Jumping Spiders Dangerous?
You would think that the bigger the spider is the more venom it would possess that could be dangerous when encountering humans.
However, that is not the case. There are many small spiders that can be much more dangerous than the bigger ones.
No matter the size of the jumping spiders (including the largest jumping spiders), none of the species are dangerous to humans and pose no significant medical threats with their venom.
While all jumping spiders carry venom in their sacs, they are typically not a threat to humans.
They are not aggressive toward humans and would scamper away before trying to put up a fight.
The venom they possess isn’t strong enough or in a great enough amount to cause humans any serious bodily harm even if you were bitten by the largest jumping spider.
Recap
To recap, giant jumping spiders are the largest jumping spiders in the world. They can grow to be almost an inch long and are excellent hunters during the day.
The biggest jumping spiders that can be found in the United States include bold, red-backed, and regal jumper jumping spiders.
Many different species (over 6,000 and counting) of jumping spiders are found around the world with hundreds of species found in the United States.
Species vary greatly in size with the smallest measuring only four millimeters long while the largest species can grow to almost an inch in length.
Thanks for checking out this article! If you enjoyed this article, you will find a lot more amazing articles to read in our “spiders” section.
Give it a try and see which articles you enjoy reading about in that category!
If you want to learn more about “spider anatomy” or “spider behavior“, give those sections a try as well.
