Avital Horowitz - Week 7 - Gigantic Asian spider could spread to much of the East Coast

As a person who has a very real phobia and fear of spiders, this story definitely frightened me. Our neighbor state, right above us, Georgia, has recently discovered a new spider from Japan called the Joro spider. The spider originates from Eastern Asia and sightings of these huge spiders have rapidly increased last year in Georgia, and could be spreading the more of the East coast.  Female Joro spiders have legs that spread their bodies out to three inches with red, yellow, and blue specks on their bodies. The Joro spider is a species of spiders part of the orb weavers because of their ability to make wheel-shaped webs. 

In 2021, the golden web of the Joro spider spread across many yards of north Georgia, frightening many Georgians. The spider was also seen in North Carolina and according to entomologists, the spiders could also be moving through the Southeast. A recent study on these spiders, from the University of Georgia, suggest that they may even spread farther than that because of their ability to live in colder climates. The spiders also have a 77% heart-rate and have double the metabolism of their relative spiders. Joro spiders also live all over Japan which has a similar climate as the United States. Although most researchers believe that this species of spiders are benign, it most definitely does not change the fact that these are some scary-looking spiders that I would happily like to stay as far away from as possible. 

Have you ever heard of this spider? If so would you be interested in seeing it or would you run in the opposite direction, as fast as possible, like me?

Asian spider could spread to much of East Coast


Comments

  1. AnonymousMar 8, 2022, 10:04:00 PM

    I have never heard of this type of spider. I think it's same to assume that no one in our class particularly enjoys the company of an arachnid. (If you do my sincerest apologies). If I'm being honest, if one of these spiders were in my house, it would be a goner.

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