Creepy, ‘parachuting’ spiders continue to spread in US with sightings in at least a dozen states

This superbug is spreading.

A hand-sized spider from Asia that can travel by air is expanding its US web presence, penetrating deeper into the country than ever — with the potential to invade the Northeast.

This golden arachnid, dubbed the Joro Spider, originally hails from East Asia but was spotted in Georgia in 2013 after hitching a ride on a shipping container, per the Scientific American.

Since then, the eight-legged invader has swept across the US, rearing its fanged head in 12 states, including Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, California, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and most recently, Mississippi, the Miami Herald reported.

There have also been sightings in Maryland and Massachusetts, while the species has even been forecast to take over New York and New Jersey in the near future, although that invasion has yet to materialize.

However, their range is expected to grow after this spring when the arachnids hatch.

That’s when the not-so-itsy-bitsy spiders will start “ballooning,” during which the Joro deploys silk, parasail-like strands so they can be borne aloft by the wind, which can carry them anywhere from a few feet to across oceans, according to National Geographic.

Denoted by their bright yellow body with blue stripes and red markings, the female Joro spider can grow to up to 4 inches — about as big as a human palm — while their male counterparts are about half that size and brown.

They reach their full size in late summer and fall when they start looking for mates. The female Joros ensnare prey, including unlucky males, using large golden or yellow-hued orb webs.

Perhaps most shocking is how well the species has adapted to life in US cities.

According to a study by the University of Georgia’s Odum School of Ecology, the species tolerates the urban cacophony better than other animals, which, along with preternatural cold tolerance, allows the critter to proliferate in Southeast towns.

The team tested the species’ resilience by simulating prey sounds with tuning forks by the side of the road, discovering that the Joro was unaffected by traffic and other urban factors.

“For some reason, these spiders seem urban tolerant,” noted study lead Andy Davis, adding that the webs are everywhere in the fall, including next to busy roads.

Joro spiders, while venomous, pose no threat to people, experts say.

“There have been no documented fatalities, nor any notable medically significant bites,” José R. Ramírez-Garofalo, an ecologist based on Staten Island, previously told the Daily Mail. “Taken together with their behavior (they are very reluctant to bite), and the evidence from the literature, they really pose no threat to humans or our pets.”

Nonetheless, there is a concern that the Joro could adversely impact the environment by displacing native spider populations.

To mitigate the damage, ecologists are urging people to report any sightings to iNaturalist or Joro Watch so scientists can keep tabs on the spread.

Thankfully, this pestilence is fairly easy to deal with.

“If Joro spiders become a nuisance around doorways, porches or patios, they can be removed the same way as any other spider, using a broom or an aerosol insecticide spray,” according to Virginia Tech entomologist Theresa Dellinger.