Invasion: Giant Joro spiders are on the move [Video]

A large, brightly colored invasive species called the Joro spider is on the move in the United States.(Video above: A report from October 2023) Populations have been growing in parts of the South and East Coast for years, and many researchers think it’s only a matter of time before they spread to much of the continental U.S.But spider experts say we shouldn’t be too worried about them.“My sense is people like the weird and fantastic and potentially dangerous,” said David Nelsen, a professor of biology at Southern Adventist University who has studied the growing range of Joro spiders. “This is one of those things that sort of checks all the boxes for public hysteria.”Scientists instead worry about the growing prevalence of invasive species that can do damage to our crops and trees — a problem made worse by global trade and climate change, which is making local environmental conditions more …