Giant flying Joro spider spotted in Massachusetts for the first time

BOSTON – A Joro spider has made it to Massachusetts. The giant, venomous arachnid was spotted in Boston’s Beacon Hill neighborhood.

Mount Vernon Street resident Sally Rogers shared photos of the large black and yellow spider in its web with WBZ-TV.

“I’m hoping someone will come pick him up and put him in a glass jar with a lid and some holes in it so he can live,” said Claudia Liberatore, a Beacon Hill resident who lives near the spider.

Ecologists said earlier this year that it is a matter of when, not if, the Joro spiders will spread to the northeast.

What is a Joro spider?

A Joro spider is recognizable by its bright yellow color and legs that can grow up to 10 cm long.

They “fly” by releasing silk threads into the air, allowing them to glide on the wind like a parachute, a New Jersey pest control company explains.

The Joros are an invasive species that were the first spotted in georgia in 2014 and have spread rapidly along the south.

“That’s quite a baby compared to what we see back home,” said Dan Roberts, a tourist visiting Boston from Australia. “In Australia, pretty much everything wants to eat you. Catch moths and feed them. And have a good relationship with the spiders and they’ll love you back.”

Are Joro spiders dangerous?

According to Penn State Extension, Joro spiders are venomous, but they are afraid of humans and rarely bite.

“The venom is weak, so if you do get bitten, it is less painful than a bee sting. There is only local pain and redness, which disappear quickly and without intervention,” the organization says.

According to researchers, spiders pose no threat to humans and eat insects or other things that get caught in their webs.

“They’re not going to hurt you, they’re not coming for your pets,” said Andy Davis, a researcher at the University of Georgia. “They’re actually spreading north now because they’re hitching rides on people’s cars and trucks.”

Davis said Boston’s climate is similar to the spiders’ natural habitat in northern Japan.

“Two years ago I did a study on the physiology of this species to see if they can survive a cold climate. My research shows that they can.”