Giant Flying Spider Likely To Be New Invasive Species In New York

These spiders are the things nightmares are made of! An invasive spider that has been making its way up the east coast will likely be in New York State in the near future.

What Is The Joro Spider?

The Trichonephila clavata, also known as the Joro spider is native to Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and China. It was first discovered in North America almost a decade ago in 2014. The huge spiders traveled to the continent via shipping containers. So far, it has been found across Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee. It has also been reported in Alabama, Maryland, Oklahoma, and West Virginia.

Credit: TODAY via Youtube

Experts Say Giant Joro Spiders Headed To New York State

In a recent article by the Staten Island Advance, José R. Ramírez-Garofalo, an ecologist in the Lockwood Lab at Rutgers University and the vice president of Protectors of Pine Oak Woods on Staten Island, said,

Right now, we are seeing them dispersing into Maryland, so soon enough, possibly even next year, they should be in New Jersey and New York. It is a matter of when, not if.

Are Joro Spiders Dangerous?

According to experts, they are not a danger to humans or pets, despite their terrifying size. Even though it looks like something out of a horror movie, Arrow Exterminators say,

The Joro spider can bite humans and pets, but as is with all orb-weavers, it has small mouth parts and is not aggressive. Because of their small mouth parts, the Joro has been deemed as harmless and typically not a safety concern. If someone were to be bit, it would be comparable to a bee sting.

Side note: I've been stung by a bee and it's no walk in the park. That sting hurt my whole leg for a week.

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