Joro Spider

Fascinating facts about the Joro Spider

• The Joro spider now covers a vast area of the eastern United States, with its range measured at at least 120,000 km² by late 2022. Scientists confirmed its presence across Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee, and also recorded scattered sightings as far north as Pennsylvania and in states such as Alabama, Maryland, Oklahoma, West Virginia and others. Its spread across this territory has been rapid since the first U.S.
• Female Joro spiders build unusually complex orb webs that can stretch several metres, but the real novelty lies in the web's cross-section. Instead of a single sheet, the web consists of three distinct layers: a central orb flanked by two irregular sheets positioned in front of and behind it.
• After a male mates with a female Joro spider, the female suspends a single egg sac from a tree branch, packing between 400 and 1,500 eggs into the sack. She then lives only until late autumn or early winter, after which the sac remains until the next spring when the juveniles hatch and disperse. This seasonal cycle means each generation overwinter as eggs, emerging in spring to rebuild webs and continue the species' expansion.
• In the United States the Joro spider has begun preying on the brown marmorated stink bug, an invasive pest that has spread widely across the region. Researchers note that native spiders are rarely observed eating this bug, making the Joro's diet a rare example of targeting the newcomer. Because the spider is harmless to people and tends to capture nuisance insects, scientists hope its presence could lessen the stink bug's impact on gardens and crops.
• The spider's English name is taken from the jorōgumo, a figure in Japanese folklore described as a spider that can change into a beautiful woman, breathe fire and command other spiders. Legend says this woman-spider lures men, wraps them in silk and then devours them. The myth gives the species a dramatic cultural backdrop that contrasts with its relatively gentle behaviour toward humans.

Sources

Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.

• Wikipedia

At a glance

About the Joro Spider

In the warm, golden light of late summer, the Joro Spider weaves its impressive golden orb, a masterful engineer spinning intricate patterns to snare the unsuspecting. With a gentle, almost languid movement, this striking arachnid navigates its surroundings, its vibrant yellow and black body a stark contrast to the muted tones of its forest habitat. As it moves through the world, the Joro Spider leaves behind a trail of glittering, dew-kissed webs, a testament to its remarkable industry and beauty.

More insects and spiders to discover

Browse Feravox