Trichophila clavata or the Joro spider is a member of the orb weavers, a spider family known for their highly ordered, wheel-shaped webs. It is found in East Asian countries such as Japan, China, Korea, and Taiwan. This year, it was discovered in Atlanta, Georgia, and has since spread and expanded swiftly. Despite the fact that it is unknown how or when the first Joro spider arrived in the United States, the massive spider has already constructed a thick, golden web on power lines, porches, and vegetable patches across north Georgia.
According to researchers, the new species has generated a lot of concern and fear among the town's residents, and it has progressively extended even into the Northeast of Atlanta in 2014, as well as South Carolina and Hudson. They may have spread across the south at one point.
Nancy Hinkle, a University of Georgia entomologist, said Joros can control mosquitoes and other insects and could be valuable for crops. The Joros pose no threat to humans or animals, according to Paula Cushing, an arachnologist at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, and other experts. However, Ann Rypstra, a spider behavior researcher at Miami University, believes that more research is needed and that caution is necessary.
Image by: Alex Sanz