Trichonephila clavata

Imagine a spider as big as your hand, with long, skinny legs! That's the Joro spider, also called Jorō-gumo. It's a type of orb-weaver spider, which means it spins beautiful, round webs. These spiders are mostly yellow and black, with some blue and white colors too. They are super interesting to watch as they build their amazing homes in the air!

Joro spiders are originally from a place called East Asia. That includes countries like China, Japan, and Korea. But guess what? They've started to travel! Since around 2010, they've been showing up in North America, like in the United States. They like to build their webs in trees, bushes, and even on houses, especially in warmer places.

Joro spiders are carnivores, which means they eat meat! Their favorite meals are flying insects like flies, moths, and bees. They are super patient hunters. They wait in their sticky webs, and when an insect gets stuck, the Joro spider quickly wraps it up and then eats it. It's like a sticky trap that catches yummy snacks!

Even though they look big, Joro spiders are very gentle with people. They hardly ever bite, and if they do, their venom is not dangerous to us. It's like a tiny mosquito bite. So, you don't need to be afraid of them! They are more interested in catching bugs than bothering humans.