Annapolis, MD - University of Georgia's "UGA Today" recently announced that new research suggests A newly-invasive spider from east Asia, Trichonephila clavata, or “jorō spider”, will eventually spread up and down the East Coast. The researchers used records from iNaturalist to track sightings of the spiders across Georgia throughout the year and published their study on February 17, 2022, in the peer-reviewed journal Physiological Entomology.
The article states that the "spiders are relatively harmless to people and pets, making their presence more of a nuisance than dangerous. Joros won’t bite unless cornered, and their fangs are often not large enough to break human skin."