No one is a stranger to invasive species. As a child I remember being grossed out by stink bugs, feeling scared of gypsy moths and getting scratched by Japanese stiltgrass. In a globalized world we have come to expect invasives as a part of life.
You probably haven’t given much thought to the spotted lanternfly, which is another invasive species from Pennsylvania that is projected to infest the College Park area soon. These gray and red bugs appear inconspicuous when they are nestled into trees, but in reality they have the potential to cause lasting ecological harm.
The spotted lanternfly is a small triangle shaped bug that is native to China, but likely migrated to Pennsylvania on cargo ships. These bugs are active in summer, feeding on fruit and ornamental trees, and then lay their eggs in the winter. Spotted lanternflies have been recorded in the States as early as 2014 and have quickly spread across the east coast. They have no natural predators in the Western Hemisphere, allowing for them to quickly infest ecosystems. They cause harm by feeding on crops such as apples, walnuts, grapes (watch out vineyards!) and hardwood trees.
There are a variety of ways that we can help prevent spotted lanternflies from invading College Park. Since the spotted lanternflies’ unwelcome arrival into the U.S., they have been closely tracked by the United States Department of Agriculture, as well as smaller environmental organizations. Each state has a tip line that citizens can send reports to whenever they see a spotted lanternfly. These lines are very important because they allow for tracking and management of the species. The USDA has a spotted lanternfly tip email: DontBug.MD@maryland.gov.
Besides reporting spotted lanternfly sightings, you can also be proactive in preventing their spread. While summer is coming to a close and the bugs themselves are expected to die off, their egg cases will still be present. The cases look like flat gray masses and are commonly found on trees. If you see a case scrape it off to prevent it from hatching in the spring.
Finally, when you see a spotted lanternfly… squish it! It may feel gross, but the small action of squishing one bug helps to prevent their spread. Occasionally, people have had to vacuum up large swarms of spotted lanternflies that have congregated onto trees, such as the person who posted this TikTok video:
While invasive species prevention isn’t very glamorous, it is an important service that we provide to our ecosystem. Luckily, we are in a good place to prevent spotted lanternflies from infesting College Park, as environmentalists in Maryland have known about these bugs for years and already have many preventative measures in place. If we each do our part and use the resources we have, we can help to stop the spread of the spotted lanternfly in College Park!