Spring brings warmer weather, blooming flowers and the unfortunate re-emergence of the spotted lanternfly, a prolific invasive insect reviled for the havoc it wreaks on forests and cropland.
Spring brings warmer weather, blooming flowers and the unfortunate re-emergence of the spotted lanternfly, a prolific invasive insect reviled for the havoc it wreaks on forests and cropland. Today, you may see egg masses — be sure to remove them if you do — and soon the nymphs will hatch across the mid-Atlantic. Arriving from Asia, spotted lanternflies were first detected in Pennsylvania in 2014 and since have spread to more than 100 counties across 14 states.
How are these miniature menaces able to relocate far and wide? In a recent study published in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers from the University of Delaware, U.S. Forest Service, and Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources found that the spread of the spotted lanternfly population is largely due to human-mediated dispersal via transportation. In other words, these expert hitchhikers are catching rides on our cars, trucks and trains.
“Spotted lanternflies can spread quickly into suitable habitat and have the potential to cause significant economic damage to crops and hardwood trees,” said Tara Trammell, John Bartram Associate Professor of Urban Forestry in UD’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. “Studying potential dispersal mechanisms, such as human transportation, can help us develop management approaches to reduce further spread.”
Read more at University Of Delaware
Image Credit: University of Delaware/ Katie Young and Isaiah Bell
