Be On The Lookout For A New Invasive Species Of Spider In New York This Year
By Lisa Sammons|Published March 22, 2022
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Lisa Sammons
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Lisa loves animals and has dogs, rats, cats, guinea pigs, and snakes. She is passionate about animal rescue and live music - traveling across the country to see a favorite band is a pretty regular occurrence! Being out hiking in the woods enjoying the scenery with her beloved dogs is another favorite hobby, and also checking out the Pokemon Go scene in whatever city she happens to be in at any given time (coffee and dog leash in hand). You can reach Lisa at lsammons@onlyinyourstate.com
Spiders tend to not be on many people’s “favorite creatures” list. Scientists have recently announced some news that arachnophobes will find troubling. If you’re afraid of spiders, you’ll want to watch where you’re walking in New York this spring. The Empire State is expected to undergo an invasion of Joro spiders, a large, fearsome-looking spider from Asia. They’ve already hit Georgia and Florida last year and are expected to head further north in 2022. Keep an eye out for these big yellow spiders that look like something from a children’s cartoon!
These palm-sized spiders are known as Trichonephila clavata or the Joro spider. They are very common in Asia and have invaded the southeastern U.S. within the last few years.
These spiders are able to balloon through the air via their silk strands. They have been known to travel up to 100 miles via this "parachuting" ability.
It's worth noting that it's typically the younger spiders and males that parachute, since the adult females are typically too heavy to float in the air.
These spiders may look fearsome, but in actuality, they don't pose any threat to humans. They are mildly venomous, but their fangs are too small to damage human skin, and they're not aggressive unless cornered.
