Spiders, a source of fear for many, justified for some. Most people I’ve met detest them. I, personally, admire them. And while I bring this exciting (from my perspective) news to you, I know the sentiments I hold may not be mutually shared by most. That being said, I am bringing this information to you in the tone I wish to share with you.

Cryptid spiders are a thing. And in this entry, I am going to explain to you what this means. From how a spider is defined as a cryptid and how to identify ones you may encounter.

First, we define the parameters.

You may be asking yourself…
What makes a spider a cryptid?
What differentiates them from regular spider?
What constitutes a whole species of spider to be cryptic?

And for all of those questions, you end up finding one answer.

Size.

When I researched on what makes a spider a cryptid, there was a unanimous agreement. The spider (or species of spider) in question must exceed a size in diameter of 2+ ft./0.6+ m.

Below is a map of the world, highlighting the countries and states, with reported sightings, of said cryptid spiders.

It’s Important that we define how we classify an individual case from a species case.

For Individual cases, I am going off of the basis that the recall is about a singular spider.

For the species cases, I am going off of the basis that the recall is describing a species of spider.

That being said I will be covering one of each:

The Individual Case (Missouri)

The first documented sighting was in 2003, described as an extremely fast large spider that looked like it was exhibiting hunting behavior towards the witness. However, when I talked to locals about a large spider, several secondary witnesses recall relatives talking about witnessing a giant spider in Missouri as far back as the 1970s. Typically described as a large spider, within a size range of 2-5 ft. /0.6-1.5 m. extremely fast. The descriptions locals gave to me, fit the same description as the 2003 sighting.

The Species Case (Democratic Republic of the Congo)

The first account I can find of the species is from 1938 from Missionary/Explorer R.K. Lloyd, who gained notoriety for reporting a spider the size of a cat while exploring the Congo. The J’ba FoFi, are an entire species of cryptid spiders. In 2002, Cryptozoologist, William J. Gibbons, was on his third expedition in search for another possible living dinosaur called the Mokèlé-mbèmbé. However, his expedition took a little detour when he heard, from locals in the area, about a whole species of cryptid spiders. Locals described their behavior, as well as appearance, in detail. Pale yellow/white peanut shaped eggs. Hatchlings are bright yellow with a purple abdomen. Grows darker in color with age. Leg span of at least 5 ft. /1.5 m. Their behavior is described as intelligent and dangerous, Locals note witnessing the spiders exhibiting hunting and trapping behaviors.