What Eats a Joro Spider?

(Lots of things)

A question we often hear is, “What eats a Joro Spider?”

The short answer: The same things which eat other spiders. All spiders are part of the cycle of life. The hunter becomes the hunted.

The Insect Cookbook: Food for a Sustainable Planet

While the Joro is big as spiders go, they are still small when compared to even a wren. Keep in mind, too, that, like most of us, they are born smaller. They don’t reach adulthood until the fall. They are easy prey.

Birds will eat them, especially ones which are on the ground or reachable from a branch. Those are easier to get to, as the webs are not something they want to fly into. Plus, the webs (and the tasty spiders within) are often in complicated places for birds to fly.

Gray and green tree frogs love them (we’ve seen this personally). They’ll position themselves on a branch or deck railing and patiently await for their moment. Eating a plump spider is a hearty meal and worth the trouble.

Like frogs, lizards love a spider meal (we’ve seen this too). Snakes too, though the Joro tends to stay higher than a snake can reach.

We ordinally think of squirrels as nut eaters. They are, but they also like snails, ants, caterpillars, and, you guessed it, spiders!

Different kinds of wasps have been observed snacking on our favorite arachnid. Mud daubers (a type of wasp) make meals of them when they can.

As heebie-jeebies go, spiders are high on the list for many people. While we don’t know yet if the Joro spider is edible, the golden orb-weaving spider (Nephila edulis) is. Author Tim Low writes they taste like pâté after baking.

Have you seen an animal munching a Joro? Let us know.

Learn the dining habits of a Joro spider.

Predators

Birds: Various bird species are known to prey on Joro spiders, taking advantage of the spiders’ visibility due to their size and vibrant colors.
Lizards: These reptiles can be predators of Joro spiders, likely consuming them when the opportunity arises.
Frogs: Frogs may capture and eat Joro spiders, using their quick tongues to snatch them from their webs or the surrounding foliage.
Bats: Insectivorous bats can consume Joro spiders, possibly catching them during flight or when the spiders are on surfaces other than their webs.
Wasps: Certain wasp species are predators of spiders, including Joro spiders, and may use them to feed their larvae.
Other Spider Species: Joro spiders can also fall prey to larger spider species, which may compete for territory or resources.
Habitat Destruction: While not a predator in the traditional sense, habitat destruction significantly impacts Joro spider populations by reducing their living spaces.
Pesticides: The use of pesticides can inadvertently kill Joro spiders, along with other insects, affecting their numbers and ecosystem role.

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