Researchers at the University of Georgia found that large spiders from East Asia may have spread to the East Coast of America.In a recent release, it was mentioned.
The Joro or Trichonephila clavataThis spider is one of the so-called “Group of Spiders”. “orb weavers.”The name “Wheel-shaped Webs” comes from the way they are organized and tridimensional.
The study found that female Joro spiders can grow to three inches in length with their legs extended. They have a 77% higher rate of heart beat than their relatives and a metabolism that is twice as fast. They are also able to withstand a short freeze, which would otherwise kill their relatives.
Rick Hoebeke, a Georgia Museum of Natural History employee, first identified the spiders in 2014. Millions of them and their golden webs were spotted throughout Georgia in 2021. Some have also been spotted in South Carolina.
The Joro Spider is common in Japan. They are similar in climate to the U.S. Entomologists expect the spider to spread across the Southeast because of their presence last season.
“Just by looking at that, it looks like the Joros could probably survive throughout most of the Eastern seaboard here, which is pretty sobering,” said Andy Davis, the study’s co-author, in a statement.
The origin of the spider’s arrival in the USA is unknown. It is also not clear why they were so common in Georgia in 2021. According to WGCL-TVThe theory is that the spiders were brought in a container from overseas and dropped on Interstate 85.
Per the statement released by the University of Georgia, experts are split when it comes to how the large spiders’ presence could impact their current environment. Spiders are well-known for their ability to catch pests and some believe they are both harmless and helpful.
Others believe it is prudent to be cautious as the spider population has increased in an area that they are not naturally found.