America’s latest eight-legged invader, the Joro spider, is rapidly expanding its territory across the United States, with sightings now confirmed in nearly ten states. These fascinating arachnids are using a truly wild method to spread, essentially parachuting their way into new backyards.
It’s been over a decade since researchers in Georgia first stumbled upon Joro spiders, which are originally from China, Japan, Taiwan, and Korea. According to BroBible, their arrival marked another instance of how our global economy plays a central role in introducing new species to ecosystems where they definitely weren’t invited. This is similar to the case of spotted lanternflies and even those “murder hornets” that popped up in the Pacific Northwest for a bit.
