Joro spider, first discovered in Georgia, makes its way to neighboring states

Joro spider, first discovered in Georgia, makes its way to neighboring states

Transcript¹

The joro spider has managed to make its way to the United States from Japan. Those spiders can grow to be about 3 inches long, including a large bulbous body with bright yellow stripes.

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Spring is just around the corner, which means we're in for longer days, warmer weather and...

(SOUNDBITE OF DRAMATIC STING SOUND EFFECT)

MARTIN: ...Spiders falling from the sky.

Originally from Japan, the joro spider managed to make its way across the ocean to the U.S., and they may not be done traveling just yet. NPR's Sean Saldana reports.

SEAN SALDANA, BYLINE²: The joro spider was first found in northern Georgia around 2014, and it didn't take long for the species to start settling in.

ANDY DAVIS: Since then, it has spread throughout most of the northern part of Georgia and into the neighboring states.

SALDANA: Dr. Andy Davis is a research scientist at the University of Georgia. He says the joro spider can grow up to about three inches long, and they have vibrant³ black and yellow patterns across their body.

DAVIS: They're about the size of the palm of your hand and, if you can imagine, a black and yellow grape with big, long legs sticking out of it.

SALDANA: Luckily, these spiders are not dangerous. They're timid in nature, and when they do bite, their fangs⁴ are usually too small to break human skin.

DAVIS: If you see these on your property, I don't think there's any reason to panic. They're not harmful to people. They're not harmful to pets. And, you know, I've heard some people say that you can think of these as almost, like, free pest control because these spiders are going to take out all of your pesky mosquitoes.

SALDANA: One thing that's not so subtle about them, though, are their massive webs.

DAVIS: You'll probably see the web before you even see the spider because their webs are absolutely huge. They're at least 3 to 4 feet in diameter. And sometimes you can have multiple webs all connected to each other, and so, you know, you get this massive web.

SALDANA: And it's these webs that have made the spiders so mobile over the years. Through a process called ballooning, they use their silk to catch the wind and travel far and wide, where they lay hundreds of eggs. This is how they've populated Georgia so quickly and why they may soon be coming to a city near you.

DAVIS: These species are really good at hitching⁵ a ride on cars and trucks, and so it's very possible that somebody could accidentally transport some of these all the way to California on a big truck somewhere. And so if that happens, then, you know, it's kind of game over.

SALDANA: For a research and science advocate like Dr. Davis, there's an opportunity to really learn about the wonders of nature because there's a lot to unpack⁶ about the joro spider. It's a story of ecology, a story of migration⁷, and, if you're Dr. Davis...

DAVIS: I joke that this story has legs.

SALDANA: Sean Saldana, NPR News.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

3 vibrant   

adj.震颤的，响亮的，充满活力的，精力充沛的，(色彩)鲜明的

参考例句：

• He always uses vibrant colours in his paintings. 他在画中总是使用鲜明的色彩。
• She gave a vibrant performance in the leading role in the school play.她在学校表演中生气盎然地扮演了主角。

4 fangs   

n.（尤指狗和狼的）长而尖的牙( fang的名词复数 )；（蛇的）毒牙；罐座

参考例句：

• The dog fleshed his fangs in the deer's leg. 狗用尖牙咬住了鹿腿。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Dogs came lunging forward with their fangs bared. 狗龇牙咧嘴地扑过来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 hitching   

搭乘； （免费）搭乘他人之车( hitch的现在分词 )； 搭便车； 攀上； 跃上

参考例句：

• The farmer yoked the oxen before hitching them to the wagon. 农夫在将牛套上大车之前先给它们套上轭。
• I saw an old man hitching along on his stick. 我看见一位老人拄着手杖蹒跚而行。

6 unpack   

vt.打开包裹（或行李），卸货

参考例句：

• I must unpack before dinner.我得在饭前把行李打开。
• She said she would unpack the items later.她说以后再把箱子里的东西拿出来。

7 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。