What to Know About the Giant Joro Spider Spotted in Michigan

Perhaps you've come across wild stories on the internet about giant, flying spiders arriving in the United States and crawling their way across the nation. Relax, the spiders are here but they are not in any hurry to see America. They are called Joro spiders and they seem to be moving up our East Coast, according to Scientific American Magazine writer Stephanie Pappas. The spiders are native to East Asia and likely came here by hitching a ride on a shipping container. They were first spotted it the U.S. in 2013 in Georgia. The Joro spider has a four-inch leg span and black and yellow coloring making them similar to the familiar and harmless Yellow Garden Spider. While the Joro spider is venomous, they are very shy and docile and if one does take up residence in your yard, it is best left alone. The spiders are not aggressive. "They're not going to hurt you; they're not going to hurt your kids; they're not going to hurt your pets," says Erin Grabarczyk, a biologist at Valdosta State University in Georgia who studies spiders and their dietary habits.

The Joro spider's venom is weak and intended for subduing small insect prey such as flies. If you are bitten by one, the bite will be less painful than a bee sting and medical attention will be unnecessary. The spider will bite only if threatened so keeping your distance is a good idea. The spiders have been spotted in a variety of locations in the southeast United States including Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee, and West Virginia. In fact, just last week on June 12, a Joro spider was observed in Monroe and reported to Joro Watch, a website set up to inform, educate, and collect data on the spider's activity in the U.S.

As for the rumored ability to fly, Joro spiders do indeed fly-as baby spiders, or spiderlings, and travel by "ballooning" or launching themselves from a high point such as a fence post and releasing long strands of spider silk which catch the wind and carry the spider aloft to a new location and new adventures. Ballooning is the way all baby spiders travel but due to their weight as they become adults, this mode of travel is not likely to work so don't become unnecessarily fearful of rumored giant, flying spiders launching an attack on humans.

Researchers believe the spiders that have made a home here will reproduce and are likely spread across the nation. They possess a higher metabolism and heart rate which will allow them to survive colder climates. Andy Davis is a University of Georgia scientist who studies the Joro spider. He says they will likely be a familiar sight in the U.S. in the coming decades. "If one does take up residence in your back yard, it will be there for three or four months in the same place," he says. "You can almost get to know

that spider. Give it a name. Show your kids that spider and show them what spiders do. This almost gives you an unprecedented educational opportunity." To find out more about the Joro spider, go to https://jorowatch.org/. The website was developed by the Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health at the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources.