The invasive Joro spider makes an intimidating figure with its massive size, bright colors and ability to thrive in areas frequented by humans.

But new research from the University of Georgia suggests that the giant spiders from Asia are actually “extremely shy and non-aggressive,” compared to other spiders commonly found in the Southeast.

“One of the ways that people think this spider could be affecting other species is that it’s aggressive and out-competing all the other native spiders,” said Andy Davis, lead author of the study and a research scientist in UGA’s Odum School of Ecology. “So we wanted to get to know the personality of these spiders and see if they’re capable of being that aggressive.

“It turns out they’re not,” Davis said in a news release.

The researchers tested the aggressiveness of the Joro, which was first spotted in Alabama last year, by blasting the spider and 10 other species with two small puffs of air from a turkey baster.

The sudden air bursts cause the spiders to “freeze” in place, being completely still, with no movement of their body or legs, a common response in spiders to perceived threats.

But while most species resumed their activities within a minute or so, most of the 16 Joro spiders tested stayed frozen for more than an hour. The shortest “startle response” for a Joro was 11 minutes.

“They basically shut down and wait for the disturbance to go away,” Davis said. “Our paper shows that these spiders are really more afraid of you than the reverse.”

The results were published Monday in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Arthropoda.

Joro spiders are native to Japan, Korea and China and were first reported in north Georgia in 2013. The spiders are believed to have arrived in a shipping container north of Atlanta. They have been rapidly spreading across the Southeast over the past decade.

Joro spiders have now been reported in Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina and Alabama.

The first reported Joro sighting in Alabama occurred in 2022.

The spiders have become especially entrenched and noticeable in the Atlanta area, colonizing areas by the hundreds and weaving massive, three-dimensional, tunnel-shaped webs.

While the Joro spider does have venom, its jaws are extremely small and would be unlikely to break a person’s skin in the case of a bite.

READ MORE: The scariest Alabama spiders that can’t actually hurt you

“Most people think ‘invasive’ and ‘aggressive’ are synonymous,” said Amitesh Anerao, co-author of the study and an undergraduate researcher at the university. “People were freaking out about the Joro spiders at first, but maybe this paper can help calm people down.”

One reason the Joro created such a stir is its willingness to set up shop in places many native spiders avoid, weaving large webs on power poles and above gas pumps.

Another is its rapid rate of reproduction, and habit of living in groups, even sharing webs with other Joro spiders.

Davis said the paper helps provide clues as to why the Joro is spreading so effectively.

“One thing this paper tells me is that the Joros’ rapid spread must be because of their incredible reproductive potential,” Davis said. “They’re simply outbreeding everybody else. It’s not because they’re displacing native spiders or kicking them out of their own webs.”

Davis’ previous research has shown the Joro has a much higher heart-rate and metabolism than the similar golden orbweaver species. That might allow the spider to survive colder climates than its evolutionary cousins, potentially allowing them to survive throughout much of the eastern United States.

At any rate, the researchers said, the Joro spiders are likely here to stay in the Southeast.

“They’re so good at living with humans,” Anerao said, “that they’re probably not going away anytime soon.”