hey! i just learned something neat, though you may have already heard about it. trichonephila clavata or the 'joro spider' is a species of huuuge orb weaver from japan that's been introduced into america. though that's obviously not good, wikipedia had the following to say: As of 2022, because of the relative lack of information about the Joro spider's ecology, the impact it has on its new ecosystem is unknown. It has been observed catching the brown marmorated stink bug (Halymorpha halys), an invasive species that native spiders have not been known to eat, and there is hope that the impact of the species will be positive due to its harmless nature and consumption of primarily invasive or nuisance insects.
i just thought that was kinda funny...
As a certified orb weaver aficionado I have to say that is a damn beautiful spider.
She looks so much like my local banana spiders but more elegant and a little less cute.
Seems like they’re not going anywhere so hopefully they can have a somewhat positive effect here! I’m tempted to say that any enemy of the brown marmorated stink bug is a friend of mine but you really just never know.
