ATHENS, GA — It’s peak season for Joro spiders in metro Atlanta, and University of Georgia researchers are asking residents to help track their movements.

Through an initiative called “Joro Watch,” the UGA Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health is collecting photo submissions this week as part of its annual contest to map how far the spiders have spread.

Rebekah Wallace with the center says the effort helps scientists study the species, which first appeared in Georgia more than a decade ago. “You can’t just have the experts looking for them,” Wallace said.

She explains that photos from the public help researchers identify new habitats and collect specimens for further study. “They can then go to those habitats, potentially collect specimens to do other sorts of research, or investigate and experiment what they’re doing when they’re living in these environments,” Wallace said.

Reports have come in from as far north as Maryland and Pennsylvania, though Wallace says the Joro spider “hasn’t moved extremely far south.”

Researchers say the spiders are easy to spot this time of year thanks to their large webs and bright yellow bands, and are encouraging residents to submit sightings through the Joro Watch website.

WSB’s Jennifer Perry contributed to this story