Joro spider

American  

[jawr-oh spahy-der] / ˈdʒɔr oʊ ˌspaɪ dər /

Sometimes Jorō spider or joro spider

noun

1. a large, multicolored, invasive but relatively harmless spider, Trichonephilia clavata (formerly classified with the genusNephilia ), found throughout much of Japan, Korea, China, and Taiwan, and recently introduced to the eastern United States: known as the “parachuting spider” for its habit of dropping, with long legs extended, from great heights.

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Etymology

Origin of Joro spider

First recorded in 2010–15; from Japanese jorō(gumo) “woman (spider),” in Japanese folklore a goblin that can change from a spider into a beautiful woman

Example Sentences

Although the Joro spider, an invasive species that has been spotted across the United States, including in California, isn’t dangerous, its size and the web it creates can seem like props from a horror movie.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

In their native Japan, the East Asian Joro spider colonizes most of the country.

From Science Daily • Feb. 13, 2024

The good news is that the Joro spider is beautiful, with bright yellow and black stripes and about the size of a palm of the hand.

From Washington Post • Mar. 15, 2022

New research, published Feb. 17 in the journal Physiological Entomology, suggests that the palm-sized Joro spider, which swarmed North Georgia by the millions last September, has a special resilience to the cold.

From Scientific American • Mar. 7, 2022

In metro Atlanta, Jennifer Turpin — a self-described arachnophobe — stopped blowing leaves in her yard after inadvertently walking into a web created by the Joro spider.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 29, 2021