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SalarMan

Latest Invasive Species...And Expanding Its Area

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This is the latest invasive species here in SE Pennsylvania...the Spotted Lantern Fly. They were first noticed a couple of years ago and it has been expanding its area where it is found. It can be quite destructive to fruit trees, grape vines and maple trees...among other things.

It's progress is being carefully monitored by Penn State University and PA Department of Agriculture. Pretty to look at, but nothing other than spiders and Preying Mantis seem to eat the bloody things. Their spread has been quite dramatic around the area, so it you live in the Mid-Atlantic region of the country you may see these buggers before long. We kill all we can and I recommend you do the same should they show up near you. When having cocktails on the deck the weapons of choice are a fly swatter which requires you to be quick and/or a mix of water and dish detergent. Spray them with the mix and they will die.

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I know this isn't the normal thing for this site...but it is something for all of to be aware of. Not just this bug, but invasive species in general.

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The buggers are all over my neighborhood this year.  Didn't see them in this part of the city last year.  I've gotten 5 or 6 of them that stayed still long enough for me to crush them with my cane.   I really want to stun one so I can use it as a model for a fly.  Figure as numerous as they are some of them are going to end up in the creeks, particularly the Wissahickon and I imagine fish will eat them.  They are a neat looking bug but much better dead.

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I'm near Valley Forge Park, and they showed up a couple of years ago. Friends in the Lancaster area are now dealing with them...lots of them. The area expansion go on.

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Ahhh yes! This has been the hot new invasive for a few years now. Part of my job entails regulating movement of plant material to avoid the spread of invasives such as Spotted Lanternfly. Luckily, it hasn't made its way to my state yet, but its really a matter of when, not if it gets here. I was hoping it could be stopped, but it's not looking that way. They love and my even require an invasive plant, Tree of Heaven to complete their life cycle. These trees have taken hold in many, many areas which is not a good thing with it comes to SLF. As you mentioned, it sounds like it could really be a problem for fruit farmers as well as just being an irritant to people.

These things will lay their egg masses on just about anything-trees, cars, semi trucks, yard furniture etc. so it's easy to see how it is going to be a major problem as far as movement goes. I do agree that they are neat looking though. Thanks for sharing!

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We are very familiar with these buggers. Can only hope at some point someone comes up with a way to either control or get rid of them.

When I think of the Japanese beetle I don't get my hopes up.

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Mechanicsburg here,   haven't seen one yet.     Was in Philly last year and got a couple on the windshield, they make a hell of a mess.  

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The friends I mentioned south of Lancaster had none last year, but plenty this year...so they are headed your way. Check out the info at Penn States site ad you can see the adults like the one I show here, as well as the nymphs...both the younger black stage followed by the red ones, the stage before adulthood.

Beautiful to look at but destructive buggers. Fortunately they don't sting or bite, but that's the only good thing. Oh yea, they don't smell like the invasive stink bugs either.

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Japanese Beetle is definitely another tough one. They do some serious damage as far as defoliation goes. Tough to control them as adults, it's most effective when you can treat them as grubs. They seem to have only gotten worse in my area this year. I'm with you on not being overly optimistic about combating that one too. Larvae feed on the roots of grasses, and there is plenty of that around!

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These invasive buggers are all tough and just never seem to go away. Sometime a bit of control...but never quite enough.

I remember reading with total fascination Vince Marinaro's chapter in The Dry Fly Code about the arrival of a new species for the fly fisherman, the Japanese beetle. He also commented on the destructiveness of the bug and the apparent inability to stop it in its tracks. Here we are all these years later and that beetle is still with us and the list of unwanted critters just continues to grow, whether it is insects, fish, shellfish, plants, etc, etc...the list is almost endless.

I guess we'll never learn.

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