As the Jorō spider continues to spread across the southeastern United States, its spindly homes can be spotted almost anywhere — even on power lines and stoplights hovering over busy roads.

Typical spiders — and most creatures — tend to find the noise and wind disturbance from nearby busy roads to be too stressful, but the Jorō spider doesn’t seem to mind much, according to a new study published in Arthropoda on February 13. This research could explain why the spiders are regularly spotted in urban areas that native spiders don’t inhabit and suggests the creatures are well-suited to thrive and spread in similar locations throughout the United States.

“If you ever look at a spiderweb next to a road, they’re jiggling and shaking, and it’s a cacophony of stimuli. … Roadsides are a really harsh place for an animal to live. But Jorōs seem to be able to live next to them,” said lead study author Andy Davis, a research scientist at the University of Georgia’s Odum School of Ecology.

  • AbouBenAdhem@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    If you ever look at a spiderweb next to a road, they’re jiggling and shaking, and it’s a cacophony of stimuli. … But Jorōs seem to be able to live next to them.

    Oh great—Chaos Spiders.

      • Zoot@reddthat.com
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        9 months ago

        I did this once but with a yellow orbed weaver in the woods. I couldn’t stop shaking for the majority of the night. Fuck spiders yo, they’re awesome, as long as they aren’t on me.

    • OleoSaccharum
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      9 months ago

      This isn’t unusual for over 20 years I’ve been seeing big ole chunky spiders that are resistant to being blasted WITH THE JET SETTING FROM THE HOSE DIRECTLY. lol. steel webs. I welcome the superspiders, some people in this thread (not you) are clearly WEAK