The flying, venomous Joro spider could be making its way to Delaware. Here’s what to know

CORRECTION: Earlier versions of this story misclassified the Joro spider. It is an arachnid.

A venomous, flying spider could be making its way up the East Coast as soon as this summer.

The arachnid known as the Joro spider made its way to the Southeast from Japan as early as 2013, and for years has been rumored to be trekking up to the Mid-Atlantic.

So, what is this spider? And is it dangerous?

What is the Joro spider?

The Joro spider is hard to miss.

Measuring as big as your palm, Joro spiders can be up to 3 to 4 inches in length with dark blue and yellow stripes and a red abdomen. Females and males differ slightly in size and coloring, with the female spiders generally being slightly larger.

What’s different about this exotic spider is its unique mode of transportation. By using a process known as “ballooning,'' the Joro spider uses its gold-colored web silk to pick up wind and essentially fly from place to place, sometimes traveling 100 miles or more at a time.

The size of the spider can change based on the time of year, according to Brian Kunkel, an ornamental entomologist at the University of Delaware.

"During the growing season, you're probably not going to recognize it," Kunkel said. "In the fall, at the end of the growing season, they grow to that size."

Is the Joro spider coming to Delaware?

A recent release from the New Jersey Pest Control hypothesized that Joro spiders could make their way up to the New York area sometime this year.

Native to East Asian counties such as Japan, Korea, Taiwan and China, these spiders have been spotted in the southern United States since around 2013.

A Clemson University study into the behavior and potential spread of these spiders found that due to the species’ adaptability to different environments and ability to rapidly reproduce and spread, they are likely to inhabit most of the eastern U.S.

Jose R. Ramirez-Garogfalo, an ecologist at Rutgers University’s Lockwood Lab, told the Staten Island Advance in April that “it is a matter of when (and) not if” the spiders make their way to New York and New Jersey.

Will Delaware be far behind? While experts have been raising alarm flags into the spider's whereabouts, Kunkel stresses that there is no immediate reason for concern for Delaware residents.

"[The Joro spider] is making its way towards Delaware, but people shouldn't be concerned," Kunkel said.

While the spider could be transported accidentally by human travel, it's unlikely to Kunkel that it will make its Delaware debut this year.

Are these spiders dangerous?

Luckily, these spiders are not harmful to humans. However, they can impose consequences on local ecosystems.

In their native East Asian habitat, Joro spiders act as “pest controllers,” feeding on pests like mosquitoes and flies. But when translating that behavior to the United States, it can pose a risk for local food chains.

“The Joro spider’s predatory nature may decrease native insect populations, affecting the food web and potentially causing a ripple effect throughout the ecosystem,” according to the New Jersey Pest Control.

Despite their intimidating look and venomous nature, they pose no threat to humans, however: While Joro spiders are technically venomous, their bite is not harmful to people, unless it triggers an allergic reaction.

According to recent reports, their behavior is rather timid, and they usually avoid interacting with humans at all.

"It doesn't pose any health risk," Kunkel said. "Its bite would be most like a bee sting, but it's highly unlikely to bite."

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The Joro spider also tends to prefer outdoor environments, but according to Clemson researchers, may also build a web on the outside of a home. If this is the case, it’s easy enough to use a broom and sweep the spider off or call a local pest control agency so it can build its web elsewhere.

Molly McVety covers community and environmental issues around Delaware. Contact her at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @mollymcvety.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Is the flying Joro spider coming to Delaware? What experts think