Visitors to Great Smoky Mountains National Park are being asked to watch for a large, brightly colored spider spreading through the region.
The Joro spider can measure about three inches across with its legs extended. Despite its appearance, researchers say it poses little danger to people or pets.
Park officials want visitors who encounter one to take a photograph, record the location, and report the sighting rather than disturb the spider or its web.
Joro Spiders Are Spreading Through the Smokies
Joro spiders are native to East Asia and were first documented in the United States around 2013. They have since established large populations across parts of the Southeast.
The spiders have already reached the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. According to the park’s current public reporting request, researchers are collecting sightings to better understand how the species is spreading through the Smokies.
Adult females are the easiest to recognize. They have bright yellow and dark bands on their legs, colorful markings on their bodies, and large golden webs that may stretch between trees or other structures.
Small spiderlings can travel on windblown strands of silk. Researchers also believe vehicles, cargo, and other human activity can carry Joro spiders much farther than they would otherwise travel.
Studies from the University of Georgia found that the species can survive brief periods of cold that kill some related spiders. Their cold tolerance may allow them to continue expanding beyond the Southeast.
Their Size Is More Frightening Than Their Behavior
Joro spiders look intimidating, but research suggests they are unusually timid.
In one University of Georgia study, researchers compared the responses of more than 450 spiders from 10 species. Most resumed normal activity less than two minutes after being disturbed. Joro spiders frequently remained motionless for more than an hour.
They rarely bite unless trapped or threatened. Their fangs also may not be large enough to pierce human skin in many cases. Researchers describe them as relatively harmless to people and pets.
Scientists are still studying how their growing population could affect native insects and spiders. For now, researchers are more interested in documenting their range than asking the public to remove them.
What To Do If You Find One
Great Smoky Mountains National Park asks visitors not to kill the spider or tear down its web.
Instead:
- Take a clear photograph.
- Record the exact location.
- Submit the sighting through the free iNaturalist app or report it to University of Tennessee researchers.
Photographs allow researchers to confirm the species, while location information helps them map its movement through the park. Park officials say those reports provide useful information about the spider’s continued expansion.
Campers should not panic if they encounter one near a campsite or trail. Give the spider and its web some room, document the sighting, and leave it undisturbed.
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