The invasion of giant JoroĢ spiders is causing quite a stir in the southeastern United States, but scientists are now revealing some fascinating insights into these flying arachnids. A recent study conducted by the University of Georgia (UGA) has shed light on the surprising ability of these spiders to remain calm even in the most chaotic situations.
According to a report by USA Today, the study published in *Physiological Entomology* indicates that the heart rates of JoroĢ spiders are a key indicator of their stress levels. Lead researcher Andy Davis pointed out that despite their intimidating appearance, these spiders appear remarkably unfazed by stressful conditions.
āThey can live in pretty crazy places… so one thought we had going into this was, āwell, maybe the JoroĢ spiders just donāt even get stressed,āā Davis explained to CNN.
While JoroĢ spiders do experience stress, their unique response is to remain motionless rather than flee. This behavior, closely linked to a rare freezing response identified in a previous study, makes them harder to detect in urban settings.
In laboratory experiments, the spiders were observed in wood frames at a consistent temperature for an entire day, showing absolutely no movement. Even when physically restrained, JoroĢ spiders remained surprisingly calm, in stark contrast to other spider species that tended to struggle. Co-author Christina Vu noted, āThe JoroĢ spiders rarely struggled once restrained, while the garden spiders put up quite a fight.ā
Initially sighted in Georgia in 2013, JoroĢ spiders have since been reported in several states including South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Oklahoma, West Virginia, and Maryland. āIt doesnāt help that this particular invasive species looks like something out of a horror movie,ā Vu added.
