Jorō spider / Korall , Wikimedia Commons
Japanese folklore tells of the Jorōgumo which is a type of Yōkai 妖怪, ("apparition"). Tales dating back to the Edo period (1603-1867 AD) say that this particular apparition is a spider that can shapeshift into a beautiful woman. She seeks men to seduce, binds them in her silk, and devours them.
It's that folklore that gave its name to the Jorō spider which can be found throughout most of Japan as well as Korea, Taiwan, and mainland China. No one quite knows how, but in 2013 or thereabouts, they found their way across to United States, and are now fairly commonplace in the state of Georgia.
Now, researchers from the University of Georgia say they could spread across the entire east coast.
How? Well, it turns out that Jorō spiders have a much higher tolerance for cold than other orb weavers, which means that they are far more likely to survive the harsher winters of the US Atlantic seaboard.
And they ride the winds! Consider that spiders can lay up to 1 000 eggs. When these hatch, they weave their silk into little 'chutes to catch the wind — a technique called "ballooning".
Jorō grow to 7,5 cm across.
Yes, that's the size of my palm.
Sleep tight.
A caterpillar finds itself caught in a Joro spider’s web. / University of Georgia picture
