Stories of palm-sized “flying’ spiders headed to New York and New Jersey have been circulating in the past few weeks, but should folks in the Northeast be on guard?
The Joro spider could be headed to the Big Apple by this summer, The New York Times reported in December, but even if they show up, there is nothing to worry about. The Times cited University of Georgia researcher Andy Davis, who said in research released in February that the spider with the four-inch legs will make it there, eventually.
A study published last November by Clemson University said the gray and yellow spider is heading north, after coming to the U.S., it is believed, in shipping containers from Japan and South Korea where they are native species.
Currently, the spider is seen mostly in Georgia.
The spider has been seen in Southeastern states for a while now, though researchers say it is hardy enough to live in colder climates and they may be heading north.
According to Davis, a research scientist in the Odum School of Ecology at the University of Georgia and one of the authors behind a 2022 study on Joro spiders, they do not pose a threat to agriculture and, while they use venom to kill predators, they are not dangerous to humans or pets.
A Joro spider can grow to be about 3 inches long and has eight legs with distinctive stripes of yellow on them. In addition to the yellow stripes, the spider’s underbelly has distinctive red markings. It also weaves large webs that look golden. The spiders have fangs, but according to Davis, they are too weak to penetrate human skin.
A main reason for the Joro spider’s spread north is its ability to “fly” by releasing silk that catches wind currents, allowing it to conduct non-precise flight guided by the wind, according to Forbes.
The 2022 study, which was published in Physiological Entomology, looks at the differences between the Joro spider and the golden silk or banana spider, which first moved to the Southeast from the tropics around 160 years ago.
The golden silk spider has remained in the Southeast because it cannot tolerate cold. Researchers say the Joro will likely not have that restriction as it appears better able to stand colder temperatures.
While a person might be inclined to kill the spiders, “People should try to learn to live with them,” Davis told UGA Today, a publication by the University of Georgia.
“The way I see it, there’s no point in excess cruelty where it’s not needed,” added Benjamin Frick, co-author of the study and an undergraduate researcher at the Odum School of Ecology.
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