The enormous yellow-black creatures known for parachuting through the air on their spidey strings toward the north, researchers say. And people all over the East Coast are sharing images of what the Invasion of the Joro Spider seems from their own backyard.
Joro spiders were first spotted in Georgia in 2014, but experts think they arrived as early as 2010. Since then, they have spread rapidly across the South, with sightings in more than six states. Researchers believe they’re headed for the Big Apple, and that “it’s a matter of when, not if” these arachnids will land in New York and New Jersey — but don’t worry, they’re super shy and will likely freeze. more than an hour if you disturb them, giving you plenty of time to get away from their four-inch leg span.
Here are pictures of what people in the US are seeing
Georgia
j_jenkins53 | iNaturalistic
In Georgia, Joro spiders – an invasive species from Asia – were discovered for the first time in the US. But since their discovery, they have hopped onto human transport and used their silks to parachute through the air and land far from these origins.
North Carolina
bran | iNaturalistic
There is nothing strange about this spider. Females can grow to have a wingspan of up to 4 inches – almost the size of the average woman’s hand.
South Carolina
antonie296 | iNaturalistic
Joro spiders may be big, but their web is even bigger. One researcher said he has seen webs that can be as wide as 6 feet, while others say their webs can be more than 10 feet wide.
Tennessee
Tim Lenz/iNaturalist
Most Joro spiders that humans have documented appear to be females, which are larger than adult males and more brightly colored, with vivid yellow and gray bodies with yellow bands on their long legs. They are also known to lay 400 to 500 eggs in one bag, with the spiderlings appearing around June, according to PennState Extension.
“Ballooning spiders can travel tens to hundreds of miles, especially if picked up by high winds and storms,” PennState says.
West Virginia
Hila Taylor/iNaturalist
Joro spiders have venom, but so far there is no evidence that they are dangerous to people or pets. Researchers say it’s likely that their teeth can’t even pierce skin if given the chance, and that if disturbed they can freeze for more than an hour. In fact, researchers at Clemson University have noted that this species is among the “shyest” spiders.
