“They don't fly like the monkeys in The Wizard of Oz”
A scientist reveals exactly what Americans can expect this summer amid claims of an invasion of giant flying spiders along the East Coast USA. Giant Joro spiders, which are native to Asia and grow up to four inches long when fully extended, have slowly spread to the United States after first appearing in Georgia about a decade ago.
Giant spiders from Asia made headlines across the country recently as for the first time, experts predicted that New Yorkers could encounter the huge arachnids, writes the Daily Mail.
Commenting on one of the most frightening claims that spiders can “fly”, Dr David Coyle assured people that they do not fly “like the monkeys in The Wizard of Oz.”
Dr Coyle, University Entomologist Clemona, explained that only baby spiders have this ability, but they lose it as they grow up and their bodies are covered with bright yellow-blue streaks.
Female yoros lay hundreds to more than 1,000 eggs at a time, which usually hatch in April and May.
Once the eggs hatch in the spring, the spiderlings hitchhike in a hot air balloon – the spiders release tiny silken threads that are caught in the wind.
“One of the problems is that people think that big spiders will fly, like the monkeys in The Wizard of Oz, and fall on their picnic,” said Dr. Coyle. “A spider that big cannot be carried with silk. That's why they don't fly.”
The body of an adult female Yoro, which is larger than males, reaches one inch, with about two to three inches on each leg, writes the Daily Mail.
“A truly large female Yoro can reach three to four inches in diameter, if you spread your legs, – said the entomologist. – There are no four-inch spiders, there are no six-inch ones at all.”
The scientist continued to explain that although yoros are large, there are several other spiders in the United States, such as garden and spiders. banana spiders, which are about the same size.
Yoro spiders are native to China and arrived in the US in 2014, first appearing in Georgia but have since spread to South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Alabama and Maryland, the Daily Mail reports.
Dr Coyle lives in Georgia and said he and his children have been caring for yoros for years and none of them have ever been bitten.
The first yoros in the US arrived in shipping containers that docked in the state.
“They've had them since they were six and eight years old,” the entomologist said. – Do spiders bite? Yes, it is possible if you hold them in your hand and shake them. I've heard that if you get bitten by a yoro, it's basically like being bitten by a mosquito.”
In November 2023, Dr. Coyle and his team published the results of a study looking at whether spiders could survive the harsh north. eastern winter.
The experiment showed that almost 75 percent of the spiders were not harmed, while the rest showed some damage, writes the Daily Mail.
However, the study concluded that states such as New York and New Jersey are “suitable for further expansion.”
“Will they actually make it to the northeastern US? 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 if or when they will actually get there.”
He went on to explain that the “hitchhiker species” is mainly spread by people, such as clinging to cars, plants and even picnic baskets.
“It's not like they're actively trying to get somewhere go, it just happens naturally,” Dr. Coyle said.
And while other experts have warned that yoros are poisonous, Dr. Coyle noted that all spiders are poisonous – at least technically.
“This is how they subdue their prey,” Dr. Coyle continued.
But that doesn’t mean they are dangerous to people, who are usually associated with poisonous ones, he explained.
>Yoro spiders can easily breed in the millions, while it is unknown how many there are in the United States, which an entomologist says can be “very annoying.”
“They are everywhere and very annoying because they can climb on your terrace, porch and carport,” he explained. “And you’re always trying to get them out of there. Yes, they’re annoying, aren’t they? No, they’re not dangerous from an environmental point of view.”
Arachnids have become Americans' natural pest control, feeding on anything caught in their webs, which can extend more than six feet across. Their prey includes cockroaches and stink bugs, but unsuspecting pollinators can also become trapped and killed.
“Most people don't even realize that yoros are there because they are so tiny,” Dr Coyle said. By late summer they become fleshier and larger, so that by late August they are an inch across and by late September/early October they are large. This is my yoro season.
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