Bug FAQGiant Crab Spider
Olios giganteus · Order: Araneae · Family: Sparassidae
Source: Wikipedia
The giant crab spider can have a leg span of up to three inches. Its body is colored black, brown-tan and orange, and its legs are held sideways like a crab. It lives in the United States and Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The spider is mainly black, brown-tan and orange in color. Its legs are oriented horizontally, giving it a crab-like look.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its total leg span can reach about three inches.
Source: Wikipedia
Does it bite or sting?
It is harmless to humans and does not bite or sting.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
This species does not harm humans.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range includes the United States and Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It belongs to the huntsman spider family Sparassidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 9 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Arizona, California, Texas, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Colorado, Oregon.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
Is the giant crab spider dangerous to people?
No, it is harmless to humans and does not bite or sting.
Source: Wikipedia
What does the giant crab spider look like?
It is black, brown-tan and orange, with legs held sideways like a crab.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Sparassidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olios_giganteus
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.