New Jersey plans emergency spotted lanternfly info session

The New Jersey Nursery and Landscape Association is sponsoring an emergency information session for the green industry focusing on the spotted lanternfly. The meeting takes place April 5 from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Beneduce Vineyards in Pittstown, N.J. There is no charge to attend, but preregistration is required.

To register, visit NJNLA's website. 

The pest appears to have caused more damage in less time than any invasive insect to arrive in the mid-Atlantic region, and it’s proliferating more rapidly than the researchers trying to learn about it can handle.

Thirteen counties in Pennsylvania are quarantined, so New Jersey plant producers are justifiably concerned. Early detection is vital to effectively control this pest. Attendees will learn how the invasive insect will affect their business, how to spot it and report it, and what types of trees and shrubs the insect will destroy.

Several entomologists and experts will present information and answer questions. Visit NJNLA's site for more information.

The spotted lanternfly adult is approximately 1” long and 1/2” wide at rest. The forewing is grey with black spots and the wings tips are reticulated black blocks outlined in grey. The hind wings have contrasting patches of red and black with a white band. The legs and head are black; the abdomen is yellow with broad black bands. Immature stages are black with white spots, and develop red patches as they grow.

It feasts on more host plants than expected, reproduces more quickly than anticipated, and faces no known native predators.
 
More than 100 farmers, garden center owners, nurseries, landscape professionals and academia have already registered, according to the NJNLA.

Photo: courtesy Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture