New invasive species found in Pennsylvania

Invasive species can be destructive forces in natural ecosystems and agricultural settings.  Recently, a number of counties in Pennsylvania have been put under quarantine as a non-native insect species was detected. The insect species in question, commonly known as the spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) , is native to China and southeast Asia.  The insect belongs to the Order Hemiptera, and is in fact, not an actual fly but a type of planthopper belonging to the family Fulgoridae. According to Dara (2014), "Spotted lanternfly feeds on a variety of host plants including fruit trees, ornamental trees, woody trees, and vines.  Apples, birch, cherry, dogwood, grapes, Korean Evodia, lilac, maple, poplar, stone fruits, and tree-of-heaven are among more than 70 species of hosts attacked by this pest."  This wide host range could become problematic for a number of agricultural crops if the spotted lanternfly were to become established in the United States. 

For more information & tips for identifying L. delicatula visit: 

http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=15861

http://www.farmingmagazine.com/blog-8053.aspx

Works Cited:

Dara, S. (2014, November 7). Spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) is a new invasive pest in the United States. Retrieved November 12, 2014.