The Joro Spider

This three-inch-long Joro Spider (Trichonephila clavata) lurked in the manicured landscaping at a high-end coastal business in Santa Barbara County. Although harmless to humans, it is a potentially invasive species.

There is some evidence it can outcompete native orb-weavers in southeastern North America. Native to east Asia, the species was observed in Georgia in 2014, the first reported sighting in the United States. Since then, it has spread west as far as Oklahoma and north as far as Maryland. The discovery of this one in Santa Barbara County in fall 2025 marked the first report west of the Great Plains.

It is now a specimen in the Entomology Collection at Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, overseen by Schlinger Chair of Entomology Alex Harman, PhD. “Insects and arachnids are easily transported unintentionally,” says Dr. Harman. This spider is a reminder to check imported vegetation and wood products for hitchhikers.