An invasive species of insect has emerged in the northeast, and local officials are concerned about the economic damage they can cause. The spotted lantern fly is an invasive species of insect native to China that was first seen in the United States in 2014. The insects feed on a wide variety of crops, including grapes, apples, and hops.
They are harmless to humans, but can seriously damage plants and trees.
An adult lantern fly is about an inch long and a half inch wide and has brown wings. They have black spots and develop red streaks as they mature. The moths hatch in July and lay eggs in autumn. An adult can lay 50 eggs on logs, firewood, and rocks.
Authorities have urged residents to kill the moth-like insects immediately and contact local officials so they can look for signs of the beetles and eradicate them.
“Kill it! Crush it, smash it … just get rid of it,” the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture told residents.
In Pennsylvania, officials have made some progress to keep the spotted lantern fly population in check, but they are concerned that they will lose the battle.
“To be honest, it’s worrying”, Daniel Strombom, Assistant Professor of Biology at Lafayette, opposite lehighvalleylive.com. “We are lagging behind on this, and I fear that if a new and innovative management approach is not found and adopted soon, the errors are likely to multiply further in this way.”
The flying insects were also seen in New York City, causing concern among local officials.
“It is forbidden to harm our city’s wildlife, but to slow the spread of this annoying species, we make a one-off call: If you see a spotted lantern fly, crush and dispose of this invasive pest,” says New York City Parks Department said.
