If you haven't yet met the colorful, giant zoro spider, you may soon be familiar with the invasive species if you live on the East Coast, scientists estimate.
The predominantly yellow spider, which can be as big as the palm of your hand, was first spotted in Georgia in 2013. Originating from Asia, there is no clear answer as to how it came to the United States, other than that it probably came in a shipping container. But in about 10 years, the species has rapidly spread to other parts of Georgia and the Southeast.
Now, scientists at the University of Georgia say a study published in the journal Physiological Entomology suggests that the zoro spider could occupy much of the East Coast in the coming years.
Andy Davis, a research scientist at Georgia's Odum School of Ecology and co-author of the study, said in a statement, "People should try to learn to live with them. If they're really in your way, I can look up a web." down and taking them over the edge, but they're going to be back next year."
The scientists came to their conclusion by comparing the zoro spider to its relative, the golden silk spider. Known as the "Banana Spider", the Golden Silk Spider comes from the tropics of Central and South America, but made its way to the southeastern US about 150 years ago and similarly took over the region , making it a "perfect experiment". use for comparison.
But as much as the golden silk spider population has grown, it is yet to expand north because the spider is more susceptible to cold. The scientists collected the two species and measured a number of physical traits as well as how they adapted to different environmental conditions, including brief periods of temperatures below freezing.
The results showed that zoro spiders, compared to their relative, had twice the higher metabolism, 77% higher heart rate in low temperatures and that they survived 74% longer in below freezing temperatures, while golden silk spiders survived. The rate was only 50%. The scientists also observed that the species does well in Japan, with some regions having a climate similar to the Northeast.
"While we shouldn't draw broad conclusions from just comparing the two species, it is at least clear that the zoro spider's physiology is more suited to a colder environment than that of its parent," the study said.
Davis also noted that humans play a factor in how far species can spread, as can vehicles and containers they ride in. He said he heard reports of someone "accidentally" taking a zoro spider to Oklahoma.
The size of the spider can scare people, but experts say they shouldn't worry. They are poisonous, but they do not bite humans unless ingested. In addition, their fangs do not penetrate human skin.
University of Georgia entomologist Nancy Hinkle told USA Today in September that zoro spiders also serve as a form of "pest control" feeding on insects such as mosquitoes, flies and stink bugs. Birds also eat spiders, but the official impact on the Southeast and its species has yet to be determined.
So if you eventually run into zoro spiders, let them be, says Benjamin Frick, a graduate student in the Integrated Conservation and Sustainability Program at the University of Georgia and study co-author.
"There's really no reason to actively squeeze them," Frick said. "Humans are at the root of their attack. Don't blame Zoro the spider."