NEW YORK (PIX11) -- Giant parachuting spiders are flying across headlines as they are rumored to be making an appearance in New York and New Jersey as soon as this summer.
Trichonephila clavata, also known as the Joro spider, is a species native to Asia that has invaded the United States. It has been spotted in South Carolina and Georgia.
Several reports that the spider could be arriving in the tri-state area appear to stem from a study published in October 2023 by Dr. David Coyle, an assistant professor at Clemson University.
In the study, Dr. Coyle notes, "We expect the range of these things to continue expanding, likely to the north, and we’ve already seen that with some populations in Maryland."
PIX11 News reached out to Dr. Coyle to clarify if his study meant the Joro spider could soon arrive in the tri-state area. Dr. Coyle sent the following response:
"I think the Joro *has the ability* to spread beyond the Southeast based on environmental conditions in its native range. In terms of a time frame...there isn't one. It might be this year. Might be a decade. Heck, it might not happen at all. Spread rate depends on many factors, some environmental, some human, some that are just spider biology."
Dr. Coyle also added, "Having the ability to do something and actually doing it are two different things."
PIX11 News also reached out to the Cornell University Department of Entomology. Dr. Linda Susan Rayor, a senior lecturer and senior research associate who also wrote about the Joro spider, said the species will not be in New York this summer "unless people move them."
"They are extremely unlikely to get to this area for a decade, if they do at all," said Dr. Rayor.
Dr. Rayor explained the notion that these spiders can travel long distances stems from the spiderlings using silk to balloon.
"They are unlikely to balloon for many hundreds of miles. The youngsters build webs where they land," she added.
Dr. Matthew Bertone, director of the Plant Disease and Insect Clinic at NC State University, said that while the Joro spider can travel a long distance, it hasn't been found north of Maryland or West Virginia.
While they haven't been seen this far north yet, he doesn't rule out the possibility they could make an appearance in the future, citing a research paper penned by a former Cornell student.
"This paper suggests, based on ecological models from their native range, that they could establish as far north as southern Canada. Thus, I would not be surprised to find them in New York and New Jersey at some point," he added.
Ben Mitchell is a digital content producer from Vermont who has covered both local and international news since 2021. He joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of his work here.
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