It’s raining… giant spiders?
An airborne spider that can grow to the size of a human hand has been invading the US for more than a decade, and now it may be making landfall in New York City, just in time for summer.
Trichonephila clavata (commonly known as the golden orb spider) is native to East Asia and is known for spinning huge, sticky webs.
It was also recently spotted in northern Maryland, USA.
A new study suggests it could hit New York and New Jersey as early as this summer. according to David Coyle, Professor, Clemson University.
“The data indicates that this spider will be able to colonize most of the eastern United States,” Coyle noted.
“This shows that their habitat comfort zones correspond very well with most of North America,” he added.
While most wigeon spiders are only a few inches long, their bodies can grow up to 4 inches and their legs can grow up to 6 inches.
Females are lighter in color, with yellow bodies with gray or blue stripes, while males are generally brown.
It’s light enough to use wind currents to move it around, and can travel up to 100 miles at a time.
But there’s good news here too.
They’re very docile and pose no threat to humans — widow spiders may bite, but only if they feel threatened, says retired arachnologist Louis Sorkin. He told Gothamist.
“They’re not really a big threat. Sure, they’re venomous, but it’s not a dangerous venom,” he explained.
They also prey on some of the pesky insects in the area, such as mosquitoes and biting flies.
Arachnophobes will be pleased to know that spiders don’t like being indoors and tend to build their webs on the outside of buildings. “These findings suggest that the hypothesis is … based on a theory that predicts the future of the disease,” Coyle, the Clemson University researcher, told NBC4..
That said, Coyle added that when the spider appears in a new area, it has been observed displacing native species.
“These aren’t just harmless spiders that come in to catch and kill the bad stuff. They’re displacing native species and catching and killing anything that gets caught in their webs,” he said.
“Are they bad or good? It’s very nuanced depending on your perspective.”
