ATLANTA — If you’ve ever encountered a Joro spider weaving a web on your home, you may think you just forgot to put away last year’s Halloween decorations.
The huge, yellow and blue-black spiders weave webs that can reach several meters in length, creating a spooky sight on many a Southeastern porch and tree in the summer.
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The Joro, which originated in Japan, was first seen in Georgia in 2013 and has since spread across the southeast. The spider gets its name from the word Jorogumo, which in Japanese folklore is a spider that can turn itself into a beautiful woman that preys on unsuspecting men.
New research from the University of Georgia suggests the invasive arachnids could spread through most of the Eastern seaboard in years to come.
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Scientists have determined that Joro spiders have a higher metabolic rate than similar spiders, which would allow it to keep functioning better in colder environments like snap freezes.
The are often transplanted to new places by people -- in cars or in luggage.
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Despite the spider’s startling appearance, the Joro is not particularly harmful to people. Joros won’t bite until they are cornered and even then, their fangs are often not big enough to break the skin.
They are also not particularly harmful to the local food webs of ecosystems.
Andy Davis, the corresponding author of the study and a research scientist at UGA’s Odum School of Ecology, said they may serve as an additional food source for native predators.
“People should try to learn to live with them,” Davis said. “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.”
Davis said it’s best to just leave the spiders alone.
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