Macrothele calpeiana is the only spider species protected under European Union legislation.

[1] The satin black colour and long, flexible spinnerets are characteristic of this spider.

The carapace is low and flat and the eyes are in a compact group.

The male can grow to nearly 30 millimetres (1.2 in) long; females are typically larger.

It also can be found in north-west Africa and Italy where it is believed that it arrived through the olive tree trade with the Iberian Peninsula.