Joro spiders, a large, parachuting, bright yellow spider from Japan, could soon spread across the eastern United States, according to a new study.
But there’s no cause for panic, according to scientists, and we shouldn’t expect to see them in Florida yet.
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Researchers at the University of Georgia said the invasive spider, which appeared in Georgia in 2013, has spread to South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and even Oklahoma.
The spider is closely related to another invasive species from Asia, the golden silk spider, which has existed in the southern United States, including in Florida, for the last 160 years. It hasn’t been able to spread beyond the southeast because it is sensitive to the cold.
It’s believed the first Joro spiders hitched a ride to the U.S. in shipping containers and could be riding in cars to new locations now. The spiders also have the ability to use their silks to carry them through the wind, a behavior known as “ballooning.”
The Joro spider, however, appears to be better suited to cooler climates, so it seems to be able to handle light frosts and could expand northward and southward in the next few years. It also has a high metabolism and heart rate.
Andy Davis, a research scientist at the Odum School of Ecology, estimates the Joro spider could be in North Florida in the next five to 10 years. Davis and his team used records from iNaturalist to track sightings of the spiders, while also performing tests to compare the Joro to the golden silk spider.
“It will be interesting to see what happens when the range of the Joro overlaps with the range of the cousin [golden silk spider],” Davis said.
The scientist said the spiders are harmless to people and pets, won’t bite unless cornered, and may be a new source of food for native animals.
“People should try to learn to live with them,” he said to University of Georgia 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.”