Ученые изучают рацион инвазивных пауков-джоро в Джорджии

Credit: University of Georgia Section Branding Header Content Do Joro spiders compete for food with Georgia's native spiders? A Valdosta State study looks closer Primary Content LISTEN: A new study from Valdosta State University is looking at what the invasive Joro spider eats and if it's competing with Georgia’s native spiders for the insects they rely on. GPB's Chase McGee reports. A new study from Valdosta State University is looking at what the invasive Joro spider eats and if it's competing with Georgia’s native spiders for the insects they rely on. Joro spiders are orb weavers, which means they build funnel-shaped webs to capture their prey. And since they’re not native to North America, Valdosta State researcher Erin Grabarczyk wanted to explore what they’re eating compared to Georgia’s native orb-weaving spiders. "Joro spiders eat a lot of flies," she said. "Across species, we find so many flies in their diets." She looked at the spiders' diets by pulling DNA from their digestive tracts, then sequencing what they find. Georgia’s spiders eat beetles, bees, and wasps. But Grabarczyk said that doesn’t mean Joros aren’t impacting our ecosystems. "When you have an introduced species, as their populations grow, kind of the nature of the introduction or the invasion can change." She hopes future studies will help scientists find out how.