Residents Informed to ‘Squish and Dispose’ of Invasive Insect Species Swarming NYC

There is a new bug infiltrating New York City and the surrounding area. While not directly harmful to humans, spotted lantern flies are huge, colorful pests that have the potential to destroy the region’s crops – and officials are advising locals to destroy anyone they encounter.

The insects are native to China and Southeast Asia and were first spotted in the United States in Pennsylvania in 2014. Since then, their population has been slowly increasing, including in New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia.

It is noteworthy that the species is very colorful, so that it is easy to recognize. “They have red hind wings with black spots, a black head and a yellow belly with black stripes,” said the New York Department of Agriculture. “Their greyish forewings have black spots with a distinctive black brick pattern on the tips.”

We’re raising the alarm on SPOTTED LANTERNFLY after a recent spike in Manhattan watchings on @inaturalist – over 30 in the last week alone. This invasive plant cicada destroys plants and trees, but does not harm humans. Kill it by hitting or crushing it. pic.twitter.com/9YyIuTjMBu

– Manhattan Bird Alert (@BirdCentralPark) August 15, 2021

The pests are equipped with “piercing mouthparts” that allow them to suck up sap from a variety of plant species, making the plants weak and vulnerable. “This intensive feeding just drains the plants of energy, and that makes it difficult for some of them to thrive,” entomologist Amy Korman told NJ Spotlight News.

The pests pose such a threat that New York officials are recommending residents help with the eradication efforts themselves.

“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,” said the city council for parks and leisure .

The spotted lanternfly, an invasive species that can harm plants, trees, and crops, has been sighted in and around NYC parks and green spaces. In picture, Central Park.
Cindy Ord / Getty Images

Similar advice was given to local residents in neighboring New Jersey, where the numbers of spotted lantern flies are increasing: “If you see a spotted lantern fly, help us stomp it out!” said the state’s Department of Agriculture on its website.

After the beetles are killed, government agencies urge people to take a photo of the specimen and where it was found, and then report the sighting immediately – in New York, for example, lantern flies sighted can be reported to the Department of Agriculture’s SLF in response poll.

Residents are also advised to get rid of the egg masses of the species, community horticultural educator Susan Ndiaye told the Times Union. It instructs anyone who encounters an egg mass to “scrape it off”, no matter what surface it is found on, “and destroy it”.

What makes the spotted lantern fly particularly worrying is the fact that it has a myriad of potential hosts – meaning the pests can drink the sap of several key plant species, the New York State Integrated Pest Management Program (NYSIPM) explained. The biggest concern regarding the spotted lantern fly is the threat to agriculture as “grapes, hops, apples, blueberries and stone fruits” are all at risk.

Spotted lantern flies cannot fly far, but as cicadas they spread via “human activity”.

“They lay their eggs on vehicles, firewood, patio furniture, stone, etc. that are accidentally transported to new areas, causing the insect to spread,” said the New York Department of the Environment.

Newsweek has contacted the NY Department of Agriculture and the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation for additional comments.