Scientists say to expect an invasion of huge spiders on the East Coast.
Joro spiders, or Trichonephila clavata, are native to Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and parts of China but the spider arrived in the U.S. southeast in 2013, sticking mostly to parts of Georgia and South Carolina.
Scientists have said not to worry about them because they're harmless, despite the way they look. They won’t bite unless threatened. And even then, their fangs aren’t often big enough to pierce human skin. Female Joro spiders have long black legs highlighted with yellow streaks and large bodies colored in blue, yellow, and red. They also create golden webs.
“People should try to learn to live with them,” said Andy Davis, a research scientist at the Odum School of Ecology at the University of Georgia. “If they’re literally in your way, I can see taking a web down and moving them to the side, but they’re just going to be back next year.” Benjamin Frick, a co-author of the study and an undergraduate researcher at the University of Georgia, told UGA Today, “The way I see it, there’s no point in excess cruelty where it’s not needed.”
Perhaps the craziest thing about these spiders is how they spread. They use a technique called “ballooning,” in which they use the wind to carry them to new locations.