What to do if you see a giant, invasive spider popping up in multiple states
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park told visitors Tuesday that invasive Joro spiders "may be hanging in a web near you."
The Joro spider, a large, scary-looking arachnid with a massive web, is appearing in various states across the United States. Native to East Asia, this invasive species was first identified in Georgia in 2014, and since then, it has been spotted in over a dozen states, primarily in the Southeast. Adult females of the Joro species are yellow with bluish-green stripes and black and yellow legs, with bodies up to 1 inch long and leg spans reaching up to 4 inches.
Males are smaller and mostly brown. While commonly referred to as flying spiders due to their ballooning technique, they are not known for soaring through the air.
Researchers emphasize that the Joro spider poses little threat to humans. It is not known to bite, and when bites do occur, they are typically forced and result in minimal pain with transient symptoms. The spider is also a natural pest control, and it doesn't harm crops or trees like some other invasive species. Despite its negative impact on native species, the spiders should not be disturbed. Outside national parks, it's not encouraged to kill them, but sightings can be reported to iNaturalist or other data collectors.
Written by urgent.news from CBS News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
