Joro spiders likely to spread beyond the state of Georgia, could colonize the entire East Coast

If you live in Georgia, it is hard not to notice the newest resident.

The bright yellow, blue-black and red spiders will be all over power lines, trees, and your front porch in the summer.

The Joro spider has spread across the state and the Southeast. The University of Georgia has found that the arachnids could spread through most of the eastern US.

There is nothing we can do to stop them. That is not necessarily bad news.

Andy Davis is a research scientist in the Odum School of Ecology and is the corresponding author of the study. They may be an additional source of food for birds.

He said that people should try to live with them.

Benjamin Frick, co-author of the study and an undergraduate researcher in the School of Ecology, said there was no point in excess cruelty where it was not needed.

Joros may be helped by high metabolism, heart rate and ability to survive cold.

The golden silk spider, which first moved to the Southeast from the tropics around 160 years ago, was compared to the Joro spider in the study. The golden silk spider is vulnerable to cold and has not been able to spread beyond the Southeast.

Scientists didn't know if the Joro spider faced the same geographical limitations.

iNaturalist is a joint venture from the National Geographic Society and California Academy of Sciences that plots user reports of animals to create location data on a variety of species. They performed a number of tests to compare the cold tolerance of the species.

The Joro spider has double the metabolism of its relative, has a higher heart rate, and can survive a brief freeze that kills off many of its cousins, according to a study. The Joro spider's body functions better in a cold environment than it does in a warm one.

The Joros can exist beyond the borders of the Southeast.

Humans are likely to transport Joro.

The Joro is likely to spread beyond its current region because of its cold-hardiness.

Joro spiders are native to Japan. The climate in Japan is very similar to the U.S.

It looks like the Joros could probably survive in most of the Eastern Seaboard, which is pretty sobering.

Joros can use their silks to carry them across the wind. Joros were able to spread so quickly because of it. hatchlings would ride along to someplace new when they emerged in the spring. Their offspring did the same thing.

Humans factor into the equation.

The potential for these spiders to be spread through people's movements is very high.

The first Joros to arrive in the U.S. were likely stowed away. Joros are more likely to hitch a ride to a new locale on a car or in luggage now that they are here.

There is still no reason to panic. The presence of the spiders is less of a problem for people and pets than it is for them. Joros fangs are not large enough to break human skin, so they won't bite unless cornered.

There is no reason to actively squash them. Don't blame the Joro spider.

More information: Andrew K. Davis et al, Physiological evaluation of newly invasive jorō spiders (Trichonephila clavata) in the southeastern U.S. compared to their naturalized cousin, Trichonephila clavipes, Physiological Entomology (2022). DOI: 10.1111/phen.12385 Citation: Joro spiders likely to spread beyond the state of Georgia, could colonize the entire East Coast (2022, March 2) retrieved 2 March 2022 from https://phys.org/news/2022-03-joro-spiders-state-georgia-colonize.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.