The Northeast U.S. is bracing for the arrival of massive spiders with four-inch-long legs that can seemingly parachute through the air.

Earlier this year, a New Jersey exterminator issued a warning about the imminent arrival of the Joro spiders, noting that they will be “hard to miss” due to their large size and vibrant yellow and grey bodies.

Originally from Asia, the invasive species has been present in north Georgia since 2010 and has been spotted over the last decade in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, the Carolinas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Ohio.

“What sets them apart, however, is their ability to fly, a trait uncommon among spiders,” New Jersey Past Control said, according to CBS News.

“While not accurate flight in the avian sense, Joro spiders utilize a technique known as ballooning, where they release silk threads into the air, allowing them to be carried by the wind.”

José R. Ramírez-Garofalo, an ecologist at Rutgers University’s Lockwood Lab and president of Protectors of Pine Oak Woods, informed CBS News that it is only a matter of time before the spiders spread further north.

The sentiment is supported by a peer-reviewed study by invasive species expert David Coyle, published last October, which confirmed that the Joro spiders are “here to stay.”

The spiders are venomous but do not pose a danger to humans. Their venom is intended for the insects caught in their webs, such as butterflies, wasps, and cockroaches. However, they could pose a threat to native spider species.

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