If you see it, smash it! How the spotted lanternfly is hatching eggs all over the map

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If you see it, smash it! How the spotted lanternfly is hatching eggs all over the map

Janet Loehrke
USA TODAY


Get your bug-stomping shoes on.

In areas of the Northeast where the colorful but invasive spotted lanternfly is emerging, killing season has arrived. The next generation of the plant-hopping and crop-destroying pest has hatched in 16 states across the northeastern U.S.

The invasive bugs can wreak havoc on plants and trees and could eventually threaten the American wine industry as they develop into vibrant moth-like insects.

The spotted lanternfly, which actually doesn't fly but is a leaf-hopping insect, is believed to have arrived in the U.S. on a stone shipment from China in 2012, according to the New York State Integrated Pest Management Program at Cornell University in Ithaca.



What does the invasive spotted lanternfly look like?

The life cycle of the spotted lanternfly begins in mid-spring. They are closely related to the cicadas family and primarily live in trees.

The insects consume the sap of up to 70 different plant species during their life cycle, particularly fruit trees. As they eat, they release a sticky, sugary substance called honeydew that increases the growth of mold and attracts wasps and ants. Too much of the bugs' feeding can weaken the tree and ultimately cause it to die. ................(more)

https://www.freep.com/story/graphics/2023/04/30/spotted-lanternfly-infesting-us-map/11744924002/