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Giant spider invasion expected along East Coast, scientists predict

By FOX 5 NY and AP Staff
Published  March 10, 2022 11:49am EST
Wild Nature
FOX 5 NY

Giant spider web

Thousands of little spiders in the western Greek town have shrouded coastal trees, bushes and low vegetation in thick webs.

NEW YORK - A spider that can grow to the size of the palm of your hand could spread to much of the East Coast, researchers say.

The Joro spider, which is native to East Asia, proliferated in Georgia in 2021 after having arrived in 2013.  It also spread to South Carolina and is expected to keep moving throughout the Southeast.

It's not clear how it made its way into the U.S., but one theory includes it came on shipping containers.

A new study suggests it could spread even farther than that. The Joro appears better suited to colder temperatures than a related species-- the golden silk spider, researchers at the University of Georgia said in a paper published last month.

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RELATED: Joro spiders invade parts of northern Georgia

But the golden silk spider has not spread to the north. 

The Joro spider has about double the metabolism, a 77% higher heart rate and can survive a brief freeze that kills off its relatives, the study found.

FILE - The Joro spider, a large spider native to East Asia, is seen in Johns Creek, Ga., on Sunday, Oct. 24, 2021. Researchers say the large spider that proliferated in Georgia in 2021 could spread to much of the East Coast. (AP Photo/Alex Sanz, File)

FILE - The Joro spider, a large spider native to East Asia, is seen in Johns Creek, Ga., on Sunday, Oct. 24, 2021. Researchers say the large spider that proliferated in Georgia in 2021 could spread to much of the East Coast. (AP Photo/Alex Sanz, File

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The researchers also noted that Joros are found in much of Japan, which has a similar climate to the U.S.

"Just by looking at that, it looks like the Joros could probably survive throughout most of the Eastern seaboard here, which is pretty sobering," study co-author Andy Davis said in a statement to USA Today.

The Joro — Trichonephila clavata — is part of a group of spiders known as orb weavers for their highly organized, wheel-shaped webs. Joro females have colorful yellow, blue and red markings on their bodies and can measure three inches (8 cm) across when their legs are fully extended.

It’s not clear exactly why they were so abundant in Georgia last year.

Their impact on native species and the environment is also not clear, though some researchers believe they are benign.

Experts say that while they are venomous,  they don't bite humans unless they are cornered and their fangs do not penetrate human skin.

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"People should try to learn to live with them," said Andy Davis, research scientist at Georgia's Odum School of Ecology and co-author of the study, reported USA Today. "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."

With the Associated Press