The, "A Spider To Top All Other Spiders!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading about the 3-inch long spider that has invaded the east coast of the United States.  The Japanese Joro Spider infiltrated the United States in Georgia, but soon found it's way up, and down, the east coast of the United States.  And, they look menacing!  Scientists from the University of Georgia have released a study telling East coast residents that the eight-legged critters are about to become even more prolific and spread up and down the East Coast.  The Joro spider arrived from East Asia.  It has legs spanning three inches, about the diameter of a soup can, and has unnerved just about everyone whom has encountered its huge golden webs.  And, the female of the species is as big or bigger than the Carolina wolf spider which is the largest native spider in the United States.  The Joro spider actually arrived in Georgia sometime in 2013 or 2014.  The hearty and mobile giants more than likely hitched rides on cargo ships headed to Georgia.  They have no natural enemies, reproduce rapidly and scare the crap out of residents whom find huge golden webs on their property.   The only good thing about all of this is that the spiders are said to be harmless to both humans and their pets. Those that have been bitten claim it feels like a tiny pinch.  It is not venomous and poses no threat to any human whom might get bitten.  What is scary is the fact that researchers in the United States believe they will likely spread throughout the East Coast and the South and really don't mind cold temperatures.  What is really neat about these giants is that they use their webs like a balloon or a parachute to glide with the wind.  Doesn't take long to travel from state to state at the rate they are spreading.  One more scary thing about them is that they can fly.  One good thing about these creepy crawlers is that they are master hunters of mosquitos and brown stink bugs which destroy crops.   Right now, somewhere on the east side of the United States, they are catching all the pests we don't want around our home.  

Can you imagine having one of these on your head and being
able to reach from ear to ear across the top of your hear!

A bit more about the giant spider...they originated in Madeira and the Canary Islands with the first one in the UK being spotted in 1879.  They are said to have arrived in the UK via banana boxes sent over from the Canary Islands.  The Joro spider is thought to be the most invasive spider species on the planet.  What makes it scary is that no one really knows if the species is helpful or detrimental to the world.  I live in an area were we may begin to find some of these giants.  I have also read that we should learn to get along with them, since they will be here to stay.  The female Joro spider has yellow and blue-black stripes on their backs with bright red markings on their undersides.  Their male counterparts tend to be a shade of brown.  their three-dimensional webs are golden in color and tend to be higher off the ground than those of other, closely related spiders.  The Joro spider won't bite a human unless they are cornered.  Even then, their fangs aren't large enough to break human skin.  The venom of the Joro is generally harmless to people and pets.   They can be a nuisance since their webs are large and their population is currently booming.  I would love to see one, but perhaps it would be best if I saw one while on vacation somewhere along the Jersey Shore rather than in my home town of Lancaster.  Actually, spiders are an essential part of the ecosystem in most parts of the world since they eat harmful insects.  I must have read over a half-dozen stories about our new guests and would love to see what they look like in person.  Can't imagine having one land on my bald head and have their legs stretching down the sides of my skull.  With all the things I have read about their size, it's entirely possible they might cover your head from side to side.  At least they probably won't be able to get their fangs into my skull since they have tiny fangs that more than likely won't penetrate my skin...at least for now!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.