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Invasive lanternflies are spreading in the US: How to protect your property

The plant-hopping parasitoid, or Lycorma delicatula, has been detected in 12 states across the country.

The lanternfly is threatening crops just before harvest season starts.

The invasive species, which drain nutrients from plants and often kills them, has now been found in 12 states across the country, according to New York State Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

The lanternfly, or Lycorma delicatula, is a parasitoid that preys on grapes, apples, blueberries and other fruits, leading to "crop loss, exporting issues and increased management costs," reports IPM.

Dr. Mark Willis, an entomologist who studies bugs, says lanternflies are effective in their efforts thanks to their straw-like mouths.

“Their mouth parts are basically a straw,” he said. “So they stab them into plant and plant juices. Well, the plants need those plant juices to make new leaves and to make fruit.”

Spotted Lanternfly
Lanternflies are in 12 states now.Getty Images/iStockphoto

Where do lanternflies come from, and how do they travel?

The plant-hopping parasitoid is native to China and Southeastern Asia, and it was first discovered in the United States in Pennsylvania in 2014. As of Aug. 18, it's been spotted across the country in Massachusetts, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Connecticut, Virginia, New York, Ohio, North Carolina, West Virginia, Indiana and Michigan, according to IPM.

Despite this movement, lanternflies are not great flyers, but they find ways to reach new destinations.

"A female could drop off of a plant and lay its eggs on the underside of your RV," Willis said. "And you drive off on vacation and now the eggs are somewhere where they haven’t been before."

Jennifer Grieser, who works with Cleveland Metro Parks, says that lanternflies "create a big mess" because of the hosts it goes after.

"The spotted lanternfly are more of a concern from the perspective that they go after a large variety of hosts, so different types of tree species," Grieser explained.

Lanternflies can have lasting ramifications on the agriculture industry if they are not contained and eradicated.

Spotted Lanternfly,
The good news is lanternflies are not a threat to people.Heide Estes / AP

How to identify and kill lantern flies

To identify if lanternflies have attacked crops, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says to look for oozing plants with a strong, fermented odor, a sticky fluid in crop areas or sooty mold.

Spotting the signs of lanternflies is just the first step, though. Scientists are now working to find an enemy to kill the lanternfly that is also safe to bring to the U.S., but in the meantime, there are ways people can help fight the invasive species.

In the case of larvae, scrape the eggs into a bag of hand sanitizer and seal it tightly before throwing it away. For adult flies, stepping on them or otherwise fully crushing them does the trick.

For anyone concerned about their own safety, Willis says that lanternflies are not a threat to people.

“Because they have piercing, sucking mouth parts, and they’re basically designed to feed from plants, they can’t bite you,” he said. “They don’t have a stinger. So I would say no, don’t eat it but you help us all out if you step on it.”

Check this guide from IPM on where to look for larvae after you've spent time in an infested area. For New York-based spottings, IPM is asking people to take pictures, collect and freeze the specimen in a jar of alcohol or hand sanitizer and email spottedlanternfly@agriculture.ny.gov with the location noted. Outside of New York, people can contact their local agriculture department.