Adult spotted lanternflies have been spotted in Pennsylvania, as reported by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and it's important to report them and also take steps to get rid of them, according to the website.
The following information provides information for where to report them and what to do if you see one.
What do spotted lanternflies look like?
Most people are familiar with spotted lanterflies, but the following is a description taken from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture website.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculuture website, the spotted lanternfly adult is approximately 1" long and 1/2" wide at rest. The forewing is grey with black spots and the wings tips are reticulated black blocks outlined in grey. The hind wings have contrasting patches of red and black with a white band. The legs and head are black; the abdomen is yellow with broad black bands. Immature stages are black with white spots, and develop red patches as they grow.
Photo courtesy Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
Why is the spotted lanternfly so bad?
The spotted lanternfly causes serious damage including oozing sap, wilting, leaf curling, and dieback in trees, vines, crops and many other types of plants, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.
In addition to plant damage, when spotted lanternflies feed, they excrete a sugary substance, called honeydew, that encourages the growth of black sooty mold. This mold is harmless to people however it causes damage to plants. In counties infested and quarantined for spotted lanternflies, residents report hundreds of these bad bugs that affect their quality of life and ability to enjoy the outdoors during the spring and summer months.
Spotted lanternflies will cover trees, swarm in the air, and their honeydew can coat decks and play equipment.
In addition to damaging trees and affecting quality of life, the spotted lanternfly is a huge threat to Pennsylvania's agriculture industry.
The economic impact could total in the hundreds of millions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of jobs for those in the grapes, apple, hops, and hardwood industries.
What should you do if you see one?
Kill it! Squash it, smash it...just get rid of it, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture website.
In the fall, these bugs will lay egg masses with 30-50 eggs each!
A Quarantine and Treatment Order is in place to help prevent the spread of spotted lanternfly in Pennsylvania.
Quarantine zones may be expanded to new areas if SLF detections are confirmed.
Click on the link below to see if your location is quarantined for SLF:
A county is placed under quarantine when evidence of a reproducing population of spotted lanternflies, such as an egg mass or a group of adults, is found by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.
If you spot a spotted lanternfly, it is crucial to report it immediately online or by calling 1-888-4BADFLY, especially if you are outside the quarantine zone.
Learn more: https://bit.ly/441KKaU
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