Joro spider guide: what are they, do they bite and are they poisonous? Here's everything you need to know

Joro spider guide: what are they, do they bite and are they poisonous? Here's everything you need to know

What are Joro spiders, are they dangerous to humans and how did they come to make a home for themselves in North America, far from their east Asian native range?

Published: June 14, 2024 at 1:06 pm

The Joro spider has hit the headlines recently thanks to research that predicts its continued spread up the US east coast. Here’s everything you need to know about the species. 

Native to east Asia, the Joro spider was first recorded in the US in 2010. Credit: Getty

What are Joro spiders?

The Joro spider (Trichonephila clavate) is a large-bodied orbweaver native to east Asia. Females usually have a bright yellow abdomen and yellow-banded legs, while males are a non-descript brown colour.

Joro spider
The female Joro spider is more than four times the size of the male. Credit: Getty

How big are Joro spiders?

The body of a female Joro spider female measures 2.8cm long, with legs stretching another 3cm or so. Male Joros are less than a quarter of that size. 

Do Joro spiders bite and are they poisonous?

They do not readily bite, being one of the shyest species of spider. Joro venom is used for subduing small insects. Bites, if they happen, are not dangerous to humans, and less painful than a bee sting. 

What are Joro spider webs like?

Joros are orbweavers, building spiral, wheel-shaped webs. Joro webs are golden and extremely strong – a citizen scientist in the US observed a cardinal perched on a Joro web, feeding off the insects trapped within it. 

What do Joro spiders eat?

Joro spiders are known to prey on cockroaches, beetles, wasps, bees, butterflies, dragonflies, grasshoppers and other spiders. 

Joro spiders eat other invertebrates, such as cockroaches, beetles and bees. Credit: Getty

Where are Joro spiders from?

Joro spiders are native to east Asia. Their range includes Japan, the Korean peninsula, Taiwan, China, Myanmar and parts of the Himalayas.

Joro spiders in the US

The Joro is thought to have been introduced to the US state of Georgia in around 2010. Though the exact route is uncertain, scientists hypothesise that it arrived in a shipping container, as is common for invasive insect species. It has since spread to at least four other southeastern states and is set continue moving north, according to recent published modelling-based research.

Joro spider
Joros are orbweavers, building spiral, wheel-shaped web. Credit: Getty

What is the Joro spider’s habitat?

Joro spiders are adapted to both rural and urban habitats, building webs in both natural and human-made locations including traffic lights and picnic benches.

Can Joro spiders fly? 

Newly emerged Joro spiderlings release strands of silk which catch the breeze, enabling them to be dispersed over enormous distances. Related spider species have been found to travel more than 300km using this method.

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