Be On The Lookout For A New Invasive Species Of Spider In Ohio This Year
By Beth|Updated on January 05, 2023(Originally published January 01, 2023)
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Beth
Author
A lifelong Virginia resident, Beth loves exploring different parts of the world and currently resides in Charlottesville. She holds a degree in English Literature and one of her short stories has been featured in the Shenandoah Review. Other interests include hiking, songwriting, and spending time in the mountains.
Here in Ohio, we’re no strangers to wildlife and creatures of all kinds. It’s a fact of life, especially if you’re exploring the great outdoors. According to a recent study, however, there may be a brand new kind of critter in our backyards: the Joro Spider. Common to Japan, this large, yellow spider has been spotted in the Southeast and it’s believed to be spreading to other parts of the country. Soon there will be Joro Spiders in Ohio. Here’s more on a new invasive species of spider that may soon be arriving to the Buckeye State so you can be prepared when you encounter on of them.
If you're not a big fan of spiders, you won't be happy to hear about a new species that's been making its way throughout the Southeast: Trichonephila clavata. More commonly known as the Joro Spider, this creature originally hails from Japan and a few other Asian countries.
The spider is particularly popular in Japan because of its bright and bold coloring. It looks straight out of a comic book. But don't worry, Joro spiders don't bite humans and if they did, we doubt you'd get radioactive spider powers.
The Joro Spider arrived in the U.S. in 2013 and has slowly been spreading throughout Georgia and South Carolina. Scientists believe it's only a matter of time before the spider is spotted in nearby regions, which could very well include Ohio.
Luckily, scientists estimate that the spread of the new species will continue to be slow, so you won't have to worry about an infestation, more of a gradual population of spiders growing over a long period of time.
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The Joro Spider is fairly easy to spot: it's roughly palm-sized and has a striped yellow body. And while this creature looks quite intimidating, the good news is that it poses no threat to humans.
One of the reasons this spider can spread so efficiently is that it can parachute on the wind using its unique, silk-like web. It's a close relative of the Golden Silk Spider, but better able to withstand cold and thus more likely to travel.
Again, the spiders aren't traveling in huge numbers so you don't have to worry about Joro spiders in Ohio falling from the sky. The parachute method merely allows the spiders to cover a lot of ground.
Another curious reason that these spiders spread is that humans can accidentally carry them from one place to the next. It's due to this reason that one has been spotted all the way in Oklahoma!
This happens with insects more often than we'd like to admit. It's easy to have something on you or your personal items without even realizing it. The next thing you know, your town has Joro spiders!
Since these spiders cause no threat to humans are not an invasive species of any kind, you don't have to do anything about them. No exterminators or vigorous purging system necessary.
But you may want to keep an eye out just to see the Joro spider's beautiful coloring for yourself. It truly is one of those astounding natural feats. Their webs too are works of art. A female spiders web can reach several meters in length and in the sunshine it shines like it's spun from pure gold. The females are also the most colorful of the Joro spiders and generally the more dominant.
For more information about the Joro Spider, you can read this study published by the University Of Georgia. What are your thoughts on this invasive species? Feel free to share with us in the comments below!
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