Great Smoky Mountains National Park visitors have been asked to keep an eye out for Joro spiders. About the size of a hand, with their freakishly long legs and bright yellow bodies, Joro spiders might
unsettle even the most avid nature lover.
It's no secret Joro spiders are within the boundaries of the Smokies, and they've been spreading all across the Southeast. East Tennesseans who are less keen on hiking might think they're safe from the giant spiders, but that isn't the case. Joro spiders have arrived in Knoxville, too.
Visitors to Great Smoky Mountains National Park are asked to track Joro spider sightings by taking a photo, uploading it to the iNaturalist app, and sending it to UTKJoroProject@utk.edu. A quick look at the iNaturalist app shows several Joro spiders have been spotted around Knoxville.
Where in Knoxville have Joro spiders been seen?
"Joro spiders are on the move and are steadily spreading into East Tennessee. These non-native spiders are believed to be the cause of local declines in native orb-weaver populations, but the reason is unknown. A first step to answering this question is keeping track of this spider as it spreads," iNaturalist says about tracking the species in Tennessee.
Of the 1,294 Joro spider sightings in Tennessee that have been recorded on iNaturalist, 1,241 have been confirmed. The other 53 observations are still awaiting identification.
On the University of Tennessee at Knoxville campus, Joro spiders have been spotted on The Hill. Three were identified on Circle Drive on Aug. 11. Not far from campus, two more Joro spider sightings were confirmed on James White Parkway on Sept. 7.
More Joro spiders have been spotted throughout the city, including in Bearden, off Papermill Drive and in West Hills. There could be more; these are just the Joro spiders that residents have recorded on iNaturalist.
While the Joro spider has been seen in more urban parts of Knoxville, sightings have increased in more heavily wooded areas. In late August, seven Joro spiders were recorded at Ijams Nature Center. Two Joro spiders have been identified at the Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum.
What are Joro spiders?
Native to parts of Asia, including China, India, most of Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam, Joro spiders are venomous but notoriously nonaggressive. They rarely bite people or pets, and even if they do, a bite will cause only mild stinging or redness.
Joro spiders are invasive to North America, and researchers believe they were accidentally introduced through shipping containers and potted plant materials. A Joro spider was first detected in Georgia in 2014 and has since spread to Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
The spiders hatch in early June. Male Joro spiders mature by August, and females mature in late September and early October. The female Joro spiders are more recognizable because of their black-and-yellow markings. Male Joro spiders are a dull brown color.
Although Joro spiders are invasive, their impact on the environment is not yet known, and experts recommend not killing one if you see it because they are easily mistaken for native orb weavers.
Afton Pratt covers trending and breaking news for Knox News and Tennessee. She can be reached at ampratt@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Joro spiders aren't just in the Smoky mountains. They're in Knoxville too
