The years 2020 and 2021 seemed to be the year of the “bugs,” with murder hornets; Brood X cicadas; puss caterpillars, and worms in headlines across the U.S., adding fears to our pandemic anxieties. Unfortunately, there is another “bug” in town, a palm sized spider with golden webs. But, before any nightmares and fears set in, let’s take a look at our new resident spider, how they got here, and what their invasion means to our ecosystem.