As the invasive Joro spider becomes common in the Chattanooga area, preliminary research from a local university shows the East Asian spider’s range could expand all the way into Southern Canada and take over habitat from native spider species.
The range of the Joro spider has been expanding rapidly throughout the Southeast, according to David Nelsen, a biology professor who’s been conducting research on the species at Southern Adventist University, and the effect has been seen on the university’s Collegedale campus.
As he was being interviewed by phone, Nelsen hiked around one of the two forested ridges that flank the campus looking for Joro spiders.
“Two years ago, we found one spider on both ridges, and that was the only sighting we had on campus,” Nelsen said of 2021 sightings. “Last year, we found two to three within the Collegedale area, and this year, we’re at 15 on one ridge. And we haven’t even gotten to the other ridge yet.”