A scientist has revealed exactly what Americans can expect this summer, amid claims of a plague of giant, flying spiders along the East Coast.
The giant Jorō spiders — which are native to Asia and grow up to four inches when fully extended — have been slowly emerging in the U.S. after first appearing in Georgia about a decade ago.
They made national news Tuesday as experts predicted for the first time that New Yorkers could encounter the enormous arachnids.
In his response to one of the scariest claims, that the spiders can “fly,” Dr. David Coyle assured people that they don’t fly “like the monkeys in the Wizard of Oz.”
Dr. Coyle, an entomologist at Clemon University, explained that only the baby spiders have that ability — and that they lose it as they grow into their bright yellow-and-blue striped bodies.
Reports have suggested that the Jorō spider is larger than a human hand, but they are as long as four inches with their legs spread.
Dr. David Coyle, an entomologist at Clemon University, told DailyMail.com that Jorō spiders don’t fly “like the monkeys in the Wizard of Oz” because they are too big – only the spiderlings can travel on silken threads blown by the wind. captured.
Female Jorōs lay hundreds to more than 1,000 eggs at a time, which typically hatch in April and May.
Once their eggs hatch in the spring, the spiderlings hitchhike by ballooning – releasing tiny silk threads that are picked up by the wind.
‘One of the problems is that people think the big ones are going to fly like the monkeys in the Wizard of Oz and drop on their picnic,’ said Dr Coyle.
‘Such a large spider cannot be supported by silk. So they don’t fly.’
The body of an adult female Jorō, which is larger than the males, is up to an inch long, with each leg spanning about two to three inches.
“A very large one can be three to four inches in diameter, with its legs spread,” the entomologist said.
“No four-inch bodies happening, no six-inch bodies happening.”
He further explained that while Jorōs are large, the US has several other spiders, such as the Garden and Banana spiders, that are about the same size.
Jorō spiders are native to China and came to the US in 2014. They first appeared in Georgia, but have since spread to South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Alabama and Maryland.
Adult spiders are too large to be supported by a silk thread, which the expert says means they don’t fly
Jorō spiders are native to China and came to the US in 2014, first appearing in Georgia but have since spread to South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Alabama and Maryland
Dr. Coyle lives in Georgia and says he and his children have been dealing with Jorōs for years — and none of them have ever been bitten.
The first Jorōs in the US arrived in shipping containers docked in the state.
“They’ve been holding them since they were six and eight years old,” the entomologist said.
‘Would (the spiders) bite? Yes, maybe if you hold one in your hand and shake it.
“I heard that if you get bitten by (a Jorō), it’s basically like a mosquito bite.”
Dr. Coyle lives in Georgia and says he and his children have been dealing with Jorōs for years – and none of them have ever been bitten
Dr. Coyle and his team published a study in November 2023, following an investigation into whether the spiders could survive the harsh winter in the Northeast.
The experiment showed that almost 75 percent of the spiders were unaffected, while the rest showed some injuries.
However, the study concluded that states such as New York and New Jersey are “suitable for future range expansion.”
“Will they actually come (to the Northeast)? That remains to be seen,” Dr. Coyle said.
“They don’t spread that far, or we don’t think they spread that far on their own every year.
‘We have no idea yet if and when they will actually arrive.’
He further explained that the hitchhiker species spreads mainly with the help of humans, by clinging to cars, plants and even picnic baskets.
“It’s not that they’re actively trying to go somewhere, it just happens,” says Dr. Coyle.
And while other experts have warned that Jorōs are poisonous, Dr. Coyle points out that all spiders are – at least technically.
“This is how they subdue their prey,” continued Dr. Coyle.
But that doesn’t mean they are dangerous to humans, which is normally associated with poisonous, he explained.
Jorō spiders can easily multiply by the millions, while it’s unknown how many are in the US, which can be ‘super annoying’ according to entomologist – but he said they pose no danger to humans
No sightings have been recorded in New York or New Jersey and while the spiders could survive the harsh winters, that doesn’t mean they are about to invade these states.
Jorō spiders can easily multiply by the millions, while it’s unknown how many are in the U.S., which the entomologist says can be “super annoying.”
“They’re everywhere, and they’re super annoying because they end up on your patio, your porch and your carport,” he explained.
‘And you’re always trying to get them out of there. Yeah, they’re annoying, aren’t they? Dangerous? No, they are not dangerous.
‘Ecologically speaking, they are good.’
The arachnids have become a natural pest killer for Americans, feasting on anything that becomes entangled in their web, which can be more than six feet wide.
Their prey includes cockroaches and stink bugs, but unsuspecting pollinators can also become trapped and killed.
“Most people don’t even realize Jorōs are free right now because they are so small,” Dr Coyle said.
‘They get fleshy and bigger towards the end of summer, so in late August they start to grow an inch in diameter and by late September to early October they are large.
“That’s my Jorō season.”
He further explained that this caught him off guard when news flooded the internet about Jorō’s flight and the invasion of New York.