An invasive Asian spider species that can grow up to four inches long has found a foothold in backyards across Georgia and is poised to spread north along the East Coast, according to University of Georgia researchers.
Joro spiders, originally found in eastern Asia, spun millions of three-dimensional webs all over the state in 2021 and have also been spotted further north, in South Carolina.
The Joro appears to handle cold temperatures better than its relative, the golden silk spider, the University of Georgia said in a paper published last month. The golden silk moved to the Southeast U.S. from the tropics about 160 years ago.
The study found that the Joro has double the metabolism, a 77% higher heart rate and can survive colder temperatures than the golden silk.
“It looks like the Joros could probably survive throughout most of the Eastern Seaboard here, which is pretty sobering,” study author and research scientist at the Odum School of Ecology Andy Davis said.
Joro spiders can spread naturally — by using their silks to carry them aloft on the wind — but are also transported by humans.
“The potential for these spiders to be spread through people’s movements is very high,” undergraduate researcher Benjamin Frick said. “Anecdotally, right before we published this study, we got a report from a grad student … who had accidentally transported one of these to Oklahoma.”
The study said the Joros likely entered the country as stowaways on shipping containers. Despite their increasing prevalence, Mr. Frick says the spiders are harmless.
“There’s no reason to go around actively squishing them,” Mr. Frick said. “Humans are at the root of their invasion. Don’t blame the Joro spider.”
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