October 29, 2009 Sci-tech: Largest web-spinning spider discovered Play video

(NECN) - Fallon Schuler from Boston's Museum of Science says scientists have found a spooky new spider just in time for Halloween.

The spider, named Nephila Komaci, is the largest web-spinning spider that's ever been found. The spider can grow up to the size of an adult human's hand, and can spin a web up to a meter in diameter.

Despite its size, scientist didn't find the spider until recently. A scientist from the Slovenian Academy of Sciences discovered it in a museum collection in 2000. He originally assumed the spider was extinct, but colleagues in South Africa found three live spiders.

The spider exhibits female gigantism, which means the female is much larger than the male. In this spider, the females can grow up to five times as large as the male.

Don't fret, scientists say the spider is probably endangered.

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