The greater issue is the accidental transportation of this insect by humans. It can spread on its own, but is not a strong flier. Spotted lanternfly is spreading very quickly. How quickly does the species increase its range and what contributes to its spread? Everyone will know and loathe this insect. They aggregate in large numbers and have been known to swarm restaurant doors, enter local businesses, fly up people’s shirts, and amass on outdoor furniture, toys and trees. Spotted lanternfly will also be a huge public nuisance. Honeydew is a sweet and sticky excrement of many plant-sucking insects that is messy, allows for the growth of unattractive sooty mold, and attracts stinging insects. While they usually do not kill their hosts, they can weaken it through extended feeding and leave behind copious amounts of honeydew. It attacks more than 70 species of plants, including many ornamentally-planted species like rose, maple, and river birch. Spotted lanternfly is also going to be a significant landscape pest. Not only do they greatly reduce yield, but remaining grapes have lower sugar content and overall plant health suffers. It is an agricultural pest, most notably on grapevines. The impacts of spotted lanternfly will be substantial. What environmental and economic impacts could the spotted lanternfly have on North Carolina? That, coupled with the fact that there is a population of spotted lanternfly less than 20 miles from our state line, means it is just a matter of time. This insect has shown time and time again that it’s capable of spreading quickly both on its own and through accidental transport by humans. Do you think the spotted lanternfly will appear in North Carolina anytime soon? We reached out to Kelly Oten, assistant professor and extension specialist in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, to tell us more about how the spotted lanternfly could impact North Carolina and how we can help to prevent its spread. A population was recently found in Hillsville, Virginia, 20 miles from the Virginia-North Carolina border. The insect was first detected in Pennsylvania in 2014, and has since spread to surrounding states. It poses significant threats to agriculture and tourism, and has been known to attack over 70 woody plant species. The spotted lanternfly is a nonnative, invasive planthopper originally found in China, Taiwan and Vietnam.
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