Have you seen a Joro spider in Georgia? Researchers Want Your Photos

On top of everything else that’s going on, now Georgia is being invaded by giant spiders.

If you live in north Georgia, there’s a good chance you’ve come face to cephalothorax with the Joro spider in the last few years. The behemoth black and yellow arachnids hitched a ride to Georgia from East Asia around 2014 and have been growing in population ever since – last year’s count from the University of Georgia’s Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health turned up more than 2,200 spiders, up from around 1,900 the year before. Joro spider distribution in the South. EDDMapS. 2025. Early Detection & Distribution Mapping System. The University of Georgia – Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health. Available online at http://www.eddmaps.org/; last accessed October 2, 2025.

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