Invasive Crop Devastating Spotted Lanternfly Now In NY State
An invasive pest from Asia has made its way to New York State and has been confirmed on Staten Island by The New York State Departments of Agriculture and Markets (AGM), Environmental Conservation (DEC), and Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP).
The Spotted Lanternfly is a very destructive insect that feeds on more than 70 plant species, including plants and crops that are critical to New York’s agricultural economy, such as maple trees, apple trees, grapevine, and hops. This pest was first discovered in Pennsylvania in 2014 and spread to New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia and West Virginia and now New York where there is high risk for an infestation.
New York State has taken strong actions to combat the establishment of Spotted Lanternfly populations since 2017 and officials urge residents to report any sightings of this invasive pest to the following link: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/a08d60f6522043f5bd04229e00acdd63
To learn more about the Spotted Lanternfly and signs to look for that show its presence visit https://agriculture.ny.gov/spottedlanternfly.