You may have heard a not-so-simple story. malicious flying spider They can soar on the wind, love butterflies, and are already showing up along the East Coast. They are called zorro spiders and their lifestyle is as interesting as their appearance.
Perhaps the most interesting part? Despite their ability to parachute in the air and their large size, researchers discovered that they are actually very shy. In fact, they may be one of the “shyst spiders ever recorded,” according to a report published by the University of Georgia. last year.
“We wanted to know the nature of these spiders and see if they could be so aggressive,” co-author Andy Davis said of the report's findings. “It turns out they didn’t.”
Here's what you need to know about the arachnids that experts say are moving from Georgia to New York and beyond.
What do zorro spiders eat?
Researchers at Clemson University previously discovered that Joros like to eat flying insects, but are not very picky about which insects they choose.
“These spiders don’t seem to care what goes into their webs. They are just as likely to eat brown marmorated stink bugs as they are to eat monarch butterflies,” researcher David Coyle said in a news release from the university. “They are spiders. If something gets caught in their web, they will get eaten.”
After all, researchers say these rats won't bite humans or pets, and if you live in New York City, they probably won't bite a giant rat roaming around your trash can. When arachnids arrive in New York, they are more likely to eat cockroaches or wasps.
Where did the Zorro spider come from?
The yellow and gray-bodied zorros are an invasive species, meaning they are not native to the United States. The spider is native to East Asia and was first discovered in Georgia in 2014, according to the University of Georgia's Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health. But it didn't take long for the spiders to spread “everywhere,” Coyle said. .
Coyle first spotted them in his backyard a few years ago and realized he could see one animal every two yards. They have expanded their territory considerably since they first attacked Georgia.
Where are America's zorro spiders?
Zorros has been observed in several states since it first made landfall in Georgia. According to records submitted to iNaturalist, the spider has been sighted in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Ohio.
“The data suggests that this spider could inhabit most of the eastern United States,” Coyle said in October. “It shows that their comfort zone in their habitat matches very well with much of North America. … We expect the range of these things to continue to expand northward, and we're already seeing it in some populations.” I saw it in Maryland.”
Are Zorro Spiders Poisonous to Humans?
Strictly speaking, yes. But also no. Although zorro spiders are venomous, they are not known to be aggressive and are much more fearful of humans than they are of humans.
“They are harmless to humans and reluctant to bite,” says Penn State Extension. “If the bite occurs, the venom is mild and not medically significant.”
If you are bitten, the organization added, it will be less painful than a bee sting and localized pain and redness will resolve quickly.
In a report published last year, researchers at the University of Georgia analyzed 450 spiders from 10 species to study their responses to minor disturbances. They found that while most spiders freeze within a minute before resuming activity, Zorro spiders essentially “freeze” and remain motionless for more than an hour. The only other spider that exhibits similar behavior is Zorro's cousin, the Golden Silk Spider.
“These spiders are more afraid of you than the other way around,” said researcher Andy Davis.
Even if they're scared enough to try to bite you, Davis' team found that their fangs may not be big enough to bite your skin.
Coyle said he has caught spiders “countless times,” as have his own children, and there is “really no risk” to people or pets.
Should Zoro kill the spider?
Spiders may make you cringe and look pretty scary, but arachnids are incredibly timid. Killing them may not be necessary, Coyle said.
“Pesticides work, but they can kill everything else, and they’re expensive, so it might be overkill,” he said, suggesting that if spiders have crawled into your home, you should physically move them. “They seem to like structures, so I tell people to take a stick or broom and remove them.”
Davis' research shows that although spiders are an invasive species, they do not yet have a significant impact on local ecosystems. However, more research is needed in this area.
“People have to try to learn to live with them,” he said. “If they literally get in your way, you'll see them put down their webs and move to the side. But they'll be back next year.”
Orkin, a pest control service, also says, “Just moving them away from your home or removing the webs may be enough.”
How big is a zorro spider?
According to Penn State Extension, adult female zorro spiders can have a body length of up to 1 inch and legs up to 4 inches across. For reference, the average human female hand is 6.8 inches long. This means that this spider's legs are as long as the average woman's hand.
Adult male zorro spiders are “much smaller,” measuring just over a quarter of an inch in length, according to PennState Extension. They also appear much more brown than females.
But bigger than a spider is a spider's web. Coyle found a web more than six feet long. There are reports that the web can be up to 10 feet wide.
Can Zorro spiders fly?
They may not have wings, but they love to soar into the sky, so to speak. Although not “flying” per se, arachnids use a technique called “ballooning,” which allows them to fling their silk into the wind to take them on a bird-riding adventure.
According to Penn State Extension, this process allows spiderlings to travel “dozens to hundreds of miles,” so “a storm blowing in the right direction at the right time of year can cause the spiders to make a big jump.”