South Florida’s 1st News With Andrew Colton

South Florida’s 1st News With Andrew Colton

You likely saw Andrew Colton reporting live from many of the major events that have shaped our world, including the Pentagon on 9/11, the crash of...Full Bio

 

Study: Invasive Joro Spider Spreading Along East Coast

Japanese Joro orb-weaver spider eating a grasshopper

Photo: David Hansche / iStock / Getty Images

An invasive spider species is spreading possibly to Florida.

A Clemson University study finds that Joro spiders are spreading beyond South Carolina and could inhabit most of the eastern U.S.

The spiders are large, brightly yellow-colored and use their webs to travel in the wind.

“I walked the edge of the woods — and they were everywhere,” Clemson researcher David Coyle recalls. “I have a 94-yard perimeter and found 50 Joro spiders on the perimeter. So, basically, every two yards there was a spider. This was in the morning and all the webs had dew on them, so you could easily see them, and there were just dozens of them on the power lines across the road.”

Japanese Joro spiders are venomous, but researchers say they don't bite humans or pets unless they are cornered.


Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content