Asian spider invades US state of Georgia, scares people and attracts scientists’ attention | Science

Researchers expect these spiders to die in late November, but they may return in similar or greater numbers next year.

The giant spider – which came from East Asia – spread widely in the north of the US state of Georgia this year, frightening residents and confusing scientists, occupying the balconies of its dense power lines, houses and fields.

Spider Guru

Writer Joe Strosevsky says – A statement The Zoro spider, which reaches more than 7 cm in length when its legs are stretched, is a type of weaver that forms intricate webs resembling a wheel.

Will Hudson, an entomologist at the University of Georgia – the author cites confirmation that he killed more than 300 guru spiders in his home. And his balcony was filled with these insects, making it unusable. He says: “These webs are a real mess, and no one wants to go out their door in the morning and suddenly spider webs cover their face!”

According to Paula Cushing, an expert on spiders, the Guru makes no threat to humans or pets and usually only bites when in danger. It is not clear how the species reached American soil, but it was first discovered in 2014, 80 miles off the state capital, Atlanta.

Arachnophobia

The author cites a self-described arachnophob named Jennifer Durbin, who once stopped cleaning her garden after stepping on Guru’s spider web.

Stephen Carter suffers from a similar problem, so he avoids wandering anywhere in Japan, China and Taiwan where traces of the Guru spider have been found. Red dots.

Scientists believe that this type of spider will spread throughout the southern United States after being discovered in several cities. It is not clear why this year has seen an unprecedented increase, and this may be due to changes in rainfall. But there is great disagreement among scientists about the impact of this phenomenon on the environment and other organisms.

Meanwhile, Debbie Gilbert, 67, decided not to wait for the results of scientific research and believed in the zero tolerance principle for this type of spider, using a stick to kill them and destroy their webs. She says, “I do not encourage killing any creature. I live in peace with all the insects and spiders around me, but guru spiders do not belong to this area.”

These spiders play a positive role in the eradication of mosquitoes and insects that bite humans (Getty Images)

Positive character

And Nancy Henkel, an entomologist at the University of Georgia, believes that these spiders can play a positive role in eliminating mosquitoes and insects that bite humans, spreading diseases and destroying agricultural crops. So he says, “It’s wonderful and exciting. These spiders are our friends, they are free in nature, and they hunt all the insects that bother us.”

But Anne Ripstra, who studies spider behavior at the University of Miami, wants to speak cautiously when evaluating Guru’s potential consequences, especially since there is still little research on the topic. “I will always be scared and I like to be cautious when dealing with something that suddenly appears in an environment it does not own,” he says.

Meanwhile, farmers, nature enthusiasts and gardeners are concerned about the conservation of other spiders and the presence and presence of bees that play a role in spreading pollen between plants.

The guru spider is large enough to prey on pollinating insects if they are trapped (Getty Images).

Paula Cushing explains that the Guru is big enough to hunt pollinating insects if they get caught in his trap, but he does not trust them too much for his food. And Guru can have a positive effect on domestic spiders if you use his advanced nets in the fishing process.

Researchers expect the spiders to die by the end of November, but by the time scientists are unable to provide accurate predictions about the phenomenon, a similar or higher number could return next year.

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