Spotted lanternfly identified in 200+ Virginia square miles

In Invasive species can quickly upset nature’s balance, VPM reports the spotted lanternfly has landed in Virginia and has ecologists, business owners, and others dealing with the havoc wrought:

One example is the spotted lanternfly, a newcomer that arrived in Pennsylvania in 2016 and has already infested more than 200 square miles in Virginia. Native to East Asia, it feasts on fruit crops and has a particular fondness for grapes, which has sent vineyards all over the East Coast scrambling for solutions.

The spotted lanternfly is also found on other plants around the home, inside and out. From Virginia Cooperative Extension, "The spotted lanternfly has also been reported on a range of ornamentals around the home and in the landscape; in high numbers, the insect can become a nuisance pest to homeowners." Homeowners and businesses should report sightings of the spotted lanternfly to their local extension office.


Image: Young Spotted Lanternfly on Fox Grapes in Berks County, Pennsylvania, USA in July 2018 by Rkillcrazy; used via Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) license



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