But we’re also concerned about places like vineyards. They prefer the tree of heaven, and in urban areas, they will tend to congregate there. It’s about them having different pathways into Massachusetts. The Brink: Is the big concern about them moving from less dense areas into more densely populated urban areas?įorman Orth: It’s not about them moving toward urban areas. It can also attract stinging insects and make it dangerous for people with allergic issues. It gets sticky, and it’s gross, and that attracts a mold and can be slippery and you have safety issues. They feed on plants, and then excrete this honeydew. There is also concern, in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, that these lanternflies are congregating by the thousands where infestations are heaviest. But it also attacks grapevines, maple trees, walnut trees, dozens of plants that are important to natural ecosystems throughout the state. That grows all over the Boston area and other urban areas. The favorite host tree of the lanternfly is the tree of heaven. But why? How can a bug like this be that threatening?įorman Orth: There are two big reasons we are concerned. They were observed laying eggs, live adults, in trees on the side of the road in Fitchburg. This is the first time spotting an active breeding population. But they are usually dead, after they hitchhiked in on a vehicle or on goods shipped in. Why was this discovery more alarming?įorman Orth: There have now been a dozen different reports since 2018. Q &A with Jennifer Forman Orth The Brink: This isn’t the first time the spotted lanternfly has been spotted in these parts. The Brink caught up with Forman Orth to talk about this particular bug, her personal interest in all bugs, and what we should do if we think we’ve seen a dreaded spotted lanternfly. So when live adult spotted lanternflies were spotted in Fitchburg, Mass., in September-a dozen states now have reported infestations-Jennifer Forman Orth, an environmental biologist at the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, who earned a master’s in energy and environmental studies at Boston University, was suddenly besieged with questions about this invasive bug. As the New York Times wrote in a headline, “Die, Beautiful Spotted Lanternfly, Die.” And in Pennsylvania, residents are being told, “Kill it! Squash it, mash it, just get rid of it.” Environmental experts are so worried about the damage the spotted lanternfly could wreak on local ecosystems, in some places the public is being advised to kill the bugs as soon as they see them. And as if that’s not bad enough, it excretes a gross residue known as “honeydew” that can turn into mold, drip sticky substances onto cars and patios, and become dangerously slippery to step on-and it just flat-out stinks when its scent hits your nostrils.Ĭharming, right? If that sounds like the sort of bug that you just want to squash, many nature lovers would say…go right ahead. It’s a threat to trees, plants, crops, orchards, vineyards, even jobs. An invasive pest native to Asia, it first arrived in the United States seven years ago. Not too many bugs are more destructive than the Lycorma delicatula, better known as the spotted lanternfly.
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