Jorō spiders are brightly colored, as big as your hand, travel by a method known as ballooning — and, according to a recent study, they will soon be all over the eastern United States. But don't worry — these spiders are not considered to be a threat to humans. They have a timid temperament and therefore do not attack humans; even if they did, their fangs are not sharp enough to penetrate human skin.
Originating from East Asian countries like China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan, the Jorō spider first reached the United States in either 2013 or 2014 and currently has a 120,000 kilometer range. Because this spider is hurting other species in its new environment, it's considered invasive species, or an animal or plant that is both not native to an ecosystem where it currently lives and harmful. And given how well they seem to be doing here, only continuing to spread, it seems unlikely we'll ever be rid of them.
