<Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> <Ul> <Li> T. blondii </Li> <Li> T. leblondii </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Ul> <Li> T. blondii </Li> <Li> T. leblondii </Li> </Ul> <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 is native to the upland rain forest regions of northern South America: Suriname, Guyana, French Guiana, northern Brazil and southern Venezuela . Most noticeable is in the Amazon rainforest, the spider is terrestrial, living in deep burrows, and is found commonly in marshy or swampy areas . It is a nocturnal species . The spider is part of the local cuisine in northeastern South America, prepared by singeing off the urticating hairs and roasting it in banana leaves . The flavor has been described as "shrimplike". </P>

Who is the largest spider in the world