A giant parachute spider may be coming to a neighborhood near you.
Joro spiders, arachnids known for their vibrant yellow-black patterns and ability to weave parachutes, are thriving in the Carolinas and are expected to spread across the East Coast in the coming years, according to a new study.
Clemson University researchers found that Joros, which traveled to the US in shipping containers from Asia nearly a decade ago, have evolved and lived in a 75,000-mile ecosystem across North and South Carolina, and Georgia.
Some of the spiders, which can grow as large as the palm of your hand, have even been spotted in Maryland right now as they head north on their parachutes.
“And not only that; they spread like wildfire,” the researcher said. “Data shows that these spiders will be able to inhabit most of the eastern US”
Joro spiders, famous for their ability to weave parachutes, are spread throughout the East Coast.AP
Unlike their native Asia, Joros have found little to stop them in North America, as spiders have no natural predators here and enjoy plenty of food.
Researchers note that large arachnids are indiscriminate eaters, meaning they will eat anything caught in their webs.
“These spiders don’t seem to care what goes into their webs; they are just as likely to eat brown marmorated stink bugs as they are to eat Monarch butterflies,” lead researcher professor David Coyle said in a statement.
Dominant spiders are also known to reject any other web crawlers in the area, meaning the presence of Joros signals that other spiders will not be in the area.
Spiders can eat anything trapped in their webs and are known to drive other spiders away from the area. Getty Images/iStockphoto
Although the spiders are large and venomous, scientists say they don’t actually pose a threat to humans because their fangs are too small to penetrate human skin.
Spiders are also likely to avoid entering homes because spiders prefer to make their nests outdoors along houses and other buildings.
Coyle said that if Joro got into the house, it might be easier to scare the spider away than to hire an exterminator.
“Pesticides work, but, also, they may be overkill because they will kill everything, and there are costs involved; it’s just as easy to physically move them if they’re in your house,” Coyle said. “They seem to like structure. So, I just tell people to take a stick or a broom and take it out.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
