Saturday, 26 October 2024

Northeast United States Must Prepare For Giant, Flying Venomous Spiders?

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Who had giant, flying venomous spiders on their 2024 bingo card?

According to CBS News, the Northeast United States must prepare for an “invasion of giant venomous spiders with 4-inch-long legs that can parachute through the air.”

They're called “Joro spiders.”

Here's what the spider looks like:

Image

New Jersey Pest Control issued a warning about the Joro spider earlier this year.

“Amidst the unprecedented incursion, the discovery of the Joro spider (Nephila clavata), a giant venomous flying spider not native to America, has sparked both fascination and concern among scientists and the public. Believed to have infiltrated the Southeastern United States from Japan, these arachnids have been making headlines since 2021, with Georgia as the epicenter of their concentration,” New Jersey Pest Control stated.

“As reports circulate, the Joro spider invasion is anticipated to continue north, potentially reaching New Jersey later this year,” it added.

Per New Jersey Pest Control:

The Joro spider, native to Japan and other parts of Asia, is known for its striking appearance and distinct behavior. These spiders are hard to miss, with a leg span of up to 4 inches and a vibrant yellow and black coloration. What sets them apart, however, is their ability to fly, a trait uncommon among spiders. While not accurate flight in the avian sense, Joro spiders utilize a technique known as ballooning, where they release silk threads into the air, allowing them to be carried by the wind.

The invasion of Joro spiders in the United States has raised numerous questions among scientists and researchers. How did these spiders make their way across the Pacific Ocean? What ecological impact might they have on local ecosystems?

Is there a reason they have chosen the Southeast as their new home? As experts work to answer these questions, the public is left to grapple with the reality of giant, venomous flying spiders making their presence known in their neighborhoods.

CBS News reports:

José R. Ramírez-Garofalo, an ecologist at Rutgers University's Lockwood Lab and the president of Protectors of Pine Oak Woods on Staten Island, told SI Live that “it is a matter of when, not if” the spiders arrive in New York and New Jersey.

A peer-reviewed study published last October by invasive species expert David Coyle found that the invasive species is “here to stay.” The arachnids are native to Asia, but were introduced to north Georgia around 2010, the study said, and are continuing to spread. Experts have warned that the spiders could spread to New York since 2022, but none have been detected – yet.

“Anyone that doesn't sort of like all the creepy crawly things, this has all of the characteristics that makes them squeamish,” Coyle previously told CBS News, saying a press release that “data show that this spider is going to be able to inhabit most of the eastern U.S..”

“It shows that their comfort area in their native range matches up very well with much of North America.”

People have reported seeing Joro spiders across much of the eastern U.S., including in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, the Carolinas, Tennessee, Kentucky Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Ohio. New York happens to be “right in the middle of where they like to be,” University of Georgia researcher Andy Davis told The New York Times in December. He believes the spiders could pop up across New York and neighboring states this summer – aka any day now.

“They seem to be OK with living in a city,” Davis added, saying he has seen Joro spiders on street lamps and telephone poles, where “regular spiders wouldn't be caught dead in.”

The arachnids are venomous, but Coyle says that they do not pose a danger to humans. That venom, he said, is reserved for the critters that get caught up in their webs, including butterflies, wasps and cockroaches. They could also pose a threat to native spiders.

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