Spotted lanternflies are not flies, but are actually large planthoppers, with adults growing to about an inch long with gray wings and black spots. It has since spread to New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and New York. Native to Asia, the spotted lanternfly was first discovered in the U.S. In areas where the pest has been found, Ag and Markets staff slows its spread by applying insecticides and removing infested plants, especially tree of heaven. "They're the ones on the front lines, so we're teaching them how to identify and spot those insects and then to report them to their managers so they can take action quickly," Calixto said. ![]() This week, Calixto and others conducted sessions with Hispanic agricultural workers in Highland, Ulster County. To help with outreach and education in the state's agricultural communities, Cornell has been running trainings. ![]() "Early detection is very important," he said. If members of the public find a spotted lanternfly, they should contact the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (Ag and Markets), Cornell University, or their county or town to report it, Calixto said. "Once these insects reach some of the grape production areas, there's going to be an impact," said Alejandro Calixto, director of the New York State Integrated Pest Management program at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The state's wine industry-from grape growing to bottle sales-generates an annual economic impact of $6.65 billion, according to the New York Wine and Grape Foundation. New York is the country's second-largest apple producer with average annual harvests of close to 30 million bushels. While the tree of heaven is the pest's preferred host, the insect is of agricultural concern as its host range covers some 70 different species of plants, including those that fuel the state's agricultural economy. The pest has also been reported and confirmed in Sloatsburg, Rockland County Port Jervis, Orange County and in Ithaca. Two months ago, a population of spotted lanternflies was found in Orangeburg, Rockland County, but its establishment there remains too early to determine. and west to Illinois.The first major infestation in the state was detected in Staten Island in August 2020, and the insect appears to have established itself there. Projections on its spread over the next 30 years shows widespread expansion into New England, south toward Washington D.C. It has since spread throughout much of Pennsylvania and into parts of New Jersey, New York, Delaware and Maryland. ![]() The first known sightings occurred in Berks County, 60 miles west of Philadelphia. ![]() Spotted lanternflies, or SLF as they are known for short, are an invasive species of insect that arrived in the United States from Asia in 2014. It’s invasive environmentally, socially and economically." "Over the past seven years, we’ve seen lanternfly travel from east to west in the commonwealth. "The spotted lanternfly is the worst bug in the commonwealth and capable of causing real damage to Pennsylvania’s $132.5 billion agriculture industry," Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Richard Redding said. Sign up for NBC Philadelphia newsletters. Get Philly local news, weather forecasts, sports and entertainment stories to your inbox.
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