Short Stuff: Joro Spiders

2024/12/11

Stuff You Should Know

People

Chuck

Josh

著名财务顾问和媒体人物，创立了广受欢迎的“婴儿步骤”财务计划。

Topics

Josh: 乔罗蜘蛛是一种原产于东亚的入侵物种，近年来在美国东南部迅速蔓延。它们体型较大，蜘蛛网非常坚固，甚至可以承受鸟类的重量。虽然它们有毒，但毒性对人类的危害很小，通常不会造成严重的伤害。乔罗蜘蛛数量的迅速增长，是因为它们在美国缺乏天敌，并且拥有充足的食物供应，如臭虫。目前尚不清楚它们对当地生态系统的影响，但似乎没有造成灾难性的后果。 Chuck: CNN关于乔罗蜘蛛的报道夸大了其危险性。乔罗蜘蛛于2013年左右首次在美国被发现，并通过货运集装箱传播。它们在日本被称为“Jirogumo”，在韩国被称为“mudanggumi”。乔罗蜘蛛的雌性和雄性在外观和行为上有所不同，只有雌性会结网。雄性为了避免被雌性吃掉，会采取一些策略来接近雌性。目前乔罗蜘蛛已经扩散到美国东南部多个州，甚至到达了西弗吉尼亚州和巴尔的摩。乔罗蜘蛛比之前认为的更耐寒，未来可能会进一步向北扩散。人们不应该杀死乔罗蜘蛛，因为目前尚不清楚它们对生态系统的影响，而且它们的毒性对人类危害很小。 Josh: 我今天看到一只乔罗蜘蛛在吃或攻击一只蜜蜂。乔罗蜘蛛的网很大，我差点撞到一个直径约四英尺的网。乔罗蜘蛛的毒性类似于蜜蜂的刺痛，我朋友被咬后反应并不严重。乔罗蜘蛛数量迅速增长，是因为它们在美国缺乏天敌，并且拥有充足的食物供应。目前乔罗蜘蛛已经扩散到美国东南部多个州，甚至到达了西弗吉尼亚州和巴尔的摩。乔罗蜘蛛比之前认为的更耐寒，未来可能会进一步向北扩散。人们不应该杀死乔罗蜘蛛，因为目前尚不清楚它们对生态系统的影响，而且它们的毒性对人类危害很小。 Chuck: 乔罗蜘蛛到处都是，它们于2013年左右首次在美国被发现。它们在日本被称为“Jirogumo”，在韩国被称为“mudanggumi”。乔罗蜘蛛的网非常坚固，不容易被破坏。乔罗蜘蛛的雌性和雄性在外观和行为上有所不同，只有雌性会结网。雄性为了避免被雌性吃掉，会采取一些策略来接近雌性。目前尚不清楚乔罗蜘蛛对生态系统的影响，但似乎没有造成灾难性的后果。人们不应该杀死乔罗蜘蛛，因为它们的毒性对人类危害很小。

Deep Dive

Key Insights

How did Joro spiders arrive in the USA?

They likely arrived in shipping containers, possibly through lumber from East Asia, and were first spotted in Georgia in 2013.

What is the range of Joro spiders in the USA?

They are primarily found in the southeastern states, including Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama, and have also been spotted in West Virginia and a satellite population in Baltimore.

Why are Joro spiders spreading so quickly?

They have a ready supply of food, particularly stink bugs, and lack natural predators in their new environment, leading to rapid population growth.

Are Joro spiders harmful to humans?

They are venomous but their bite is generally not harmful to humans, causing only a mild local reaction similar to a bee sting.

What are the physical characteristics of Joro spiders?

They are large orb weavers with yellow and dark blue bodies, red bellies, and orange bands on their legs. Females are larger and more colorful than males.

How do Joro spiders behave in terms of mating?

Males use various tricks to attract females, including floating on gossamer threads, as females may kill and eat them if they approach directly.

Should people be concerned about Joro spiders as an invasive species?

While they are invasive, they do not seem to have significant negative impacts on ecosystems and are not causing harm to other spider populations.

How strong are Joro spider webs?

Their webs are incredibly strong, capable of supporting birds perching on them without breaking.

What is the lifespan of Joro spiders?

The transcript does not provide specific information on their lifespan, but it mentions that adults are most active and spin webs in late summer and early fall.

What is the scientific name of Joro spiders?

Their scientific name is Nephila clavata.

Chapters

This chapter introduces the Joro spider, its scientific name (Nephila clavata), origin in East Asia, and arrival in the US via shipping containers. It also describes their physical characteristics, large webs, and prevalence in the Southeastern US.

Joro spiders (Nephila clavata) are from East Asia.
They arrived in the US, likely via shipping containers.
They are large orb weavers with distinctive yellow, dark blue, and red markings.
Their webs can be very large and strong.

Shownotes Transcript

These invasive spiders are everywhere these days. But how did they get to the USA and are they harmful?

See omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.

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