Resource Database

Overview

Joro spiders are large orb-weaver spiders native to Asia and introduced to the US in 2014. As with many spiders, the female and male spiders look very different. They are most often seen in September to October when they build large golden webs.

Adult female bodies are up to 1.25 in long. Their abdomen is yellow with broad blue-green bands on the back (dorsal) side and yellow and red markings on the ventral (belly) side. They legs are long and black, often with yellow bands.

Adult males are small, only 0.16-0.31 in long and brown. Their abdomen is an enlogate oval with two long, yellow-ish stripes on both sides and a dark brown stripe in the middle.

Egg sacs are laid mid-October through November. They are in dense white silk sacs attached to leaves, tree bark, and flat structures. Cocoons contain 400-500 eggs.

Lookalikes

In the southeastern US, it may be confused with the golden silk-orb weaver (T. clavipes). However, the golden silk orb-weaver has dense, black tufts of hair on their 1st, 2nd, and 4th pairs of legs near the joints and the abdomen is a yellow-orange with silvery white spots.