Warmer weather in Rhode Island means a whole lot of goodness – from sun-soaked, longer days to the return of the hummingbirds in our backyards. This year we may also welcome some unexpected visitors. A new invasive species of spider is making its way up the northeast, and it’s expected to arrive in Rhode Island sometime this year. Here’s what you need to know about our arriving guests.

A new invasive species of spider might sound ominous; it’s anything but. The Trichonephila clavata, more commonly known as the Joro spider, originated in Asia.

Flickr/Daniel Ramirez

By 2014, however, the spider had been spotted in Georgia. How the Joro spider made it to the U.S. isn’t clear, although scientists believe they traveled via shipping containers, potted plants, and trucks. That’s how they’re expected to spread throughout the Northeast and into Rhode Island, too.

Flickr/Christina Butler

The good news is Joro spiders aren’t dangerous to humans. They don’t typically bite humans and, if they do, the bite stings then the pain goes away rather quickly. (That’s likely not the case if you’re allergic to the spider’s venom.)

Flickr/Bethany Weeks

While the mere thought of a new spider might sound a bit daunting, this species is actually beneficial in ways that we can appreciate. They feed on stink bugs, flies, and mosquitoes, for example.

Flickr/Jon Cox

Joro spiders are rather small. The females, usually a bright yellow and gray, are larger with bodies that measure an inch and legs that can be up to four inches long.

Flickr/Neil Dauphin

The males, on the other hand, are usually brown in color and are considerably smaller, tallying just .03 of an inch.

Flicker/Micha L. Riser

Spotting a Joro spider’s web shouldn’t be too difficult; it takes on a golden hue when the sun hits it.

Flickr/Daniel Ramirez

Have you seen this new invasive species of spider in Rhode Island yet? Let us know in the comments! Are you ready to get out and explore more of nature? Slip on your hiking shoes and set off on one of the best hikes in Rhode Island.

Flickr/Daniel Ramirez

Flickr/Christina Butler

Flickr/Bethany Weeks

Flickr/Jon Cox

Flickr/Neil Dauphin

Flicker/Micha L. Riser

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