Spotted lanternfly found in Delaware County

DELAWARE COUNTY, Pa. (WTXF) - Officials are warning the public about the spotted lanternfly, which is an invasive insect that has spread throughout southeastern Pennsylvania since its discovery in Berks County in 2014. They have recently been discovered in Delaware County.

The spotted lanternfly presents a significant threat to Pennsylvania agriculture, including the grape, tree-fruit, hardwood and nursery industries, which collectively are worth nearly $18 billion to the state's economy.

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has issued a quarantine for areas that have been confirmed to harbor the spotted lanternfly. The counties that have been quarantined are Berks, Bucks, Chester, Dauphin, Delaware, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Philadelphia, and Schuylkill.

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture advises that the adult spotted lanternfly and nymphs can be mechanically destroyed, such as being swatted with a shoe. If you encounter an egg mass, they suggest to scrape the mass into a bottle that can be sealed. If you cannot scrape the egg mass into a container, mechanically destroy it as best as possible.

More information on the spotted lanternfly can be found:

www.extension.psu.edu/spotted-lanternfly

www.agriculture.pa.gov/spottedlanternfly