The giant, hand-sized Joro spider hitchhiked from Asia to the U.S. during the 2010s. Since then, it's used those eight long legs to travel from Georgia to the Carolinas, and possibly your backyard. But bigger isn't always badder! These beautiful, exotic arachnids create little if any cause for concern.

Like its compatriot the Asian Giant Hornet, often mislabeled as "murder hornet" after arriving in the U.S., the Joro spider is eliciting fear before most folks ever encounter one. But don't worry, we'll help clean up that web of fear and confusion!

Watch as our expert entomologist, Matt Bertone with NC State University, provides some "Joro Spider 101" perspective.

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