A giant invasive spider found in Pennsylvania for the first time is not posing a problem for U.S. ecosystems — yet.
What's happening?
The Joro spider, native to East Asia, first arrived in Atlanta at least a decade ago. It has reached other areas along the East Coast and was recently found in the Keystone State, in Bucks County, for the first time, as the Guardian reported.
But unlike other invasive species, including the tree-killing emerald ash borer and similarly troublesome spotted lanternfly, the Joro spider is drawing shrugs from experts.
That could, however, be because it has not been around long enough to create noticeable issues. The orb weavers — which "balloon," or travel by air, when they're only about one millimeter in size — have moved in on native species, taking over their habitats and eating their food. There is also reportedly no foolproof way to stop them from spreading, though it's difficult to pinpoint how quickly they will do so. Females grow up to eight inches.
Why is this important?
While the Joro spider may not be doing significant damage yet, other invasive species are. They cost the United States $20 billion every year in lost resources and management programs.
So, even though the "harmless" creatures are being brushed off — perhaps to ease peoples' fears about giant flying spiders or because even their venomous bites are not "medically relevant," per PBS — that doesn't mean they can't become a problem. Invasive species proliferate and wreak havoc in new environments because of a lack of natural checks on their presence.
The Joro's size alone indicates it could consume native bugs and unbalance delicate ecosystems, even if it is a gentle giant, as the Guardian detailed. It also has shown a unique indifference to vibration, per LiveScience.
"When you have a complicated ecosystem with a lot of species in it, and then you replace a bunch of factors with one factor in that ecosystem, it's hard to just know what's going to happen," David Coyle, associate professor of Forest Health and Invasive Species at Clemson, told Conway, South Carolina's WPDE ABC15.
"Sometimes it takes a long time to learn what kind of impacts that may have, years and years sometimes. Are there impacts on native species? Yes. What's the impact from that? We just don't know yet."
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What's being done about invasive species?
With certain invasive aquatic species, people with boats can help by cleaning, draining, and drying them, which prevents mussels and more from hiding out in bilge water or livewells. Some fish are being renamed and all but put on wanted posters as officials urge people to eat them.
In general, you can help curb the expansion of invasive species' ranges by contributing to the cooling of the planet, as rising global temperatures make conditions ripe for certain plants and animals to spread unchecked in areas where they are introduced.
Walking, biking, and using public or electric transportation are great ways to cut carbon and other pollution that envelops Earth like a blanket and causes its heating, as well as foodinsecurity and more severe and frequent extreme weather events.
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