An invasive fly known for excreting a smelly substance that can damage trees, crops and other plants has been discovered in Georgia, state agriculture officials announced Thursday.
The spotted lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula, is a hitchhiking pest native to Asia that was first found in the U.S. back in 2014 in Pennsylvania. Since then, it has spread to at least 17 other states and now, apparently, Georgia as well.
The first live specimen in Georgia was discovered in Fulton County last month and was confirmed by the federal officials Thursday, the Georgia Department of Agriculture said.
State officials didn’t mince words about the bug. If you see it, the agriculture department wants people to capture a clear picture of the bug, kill it and then report the sighting. The agency has launched an online portal for residents to report possible encounters.
Compared to other invasive species that have emerged in Georgia, the spotted lanternfly is relatively easy to spot.
Juveniles are black with white spots and develop red coloration on their wings as they grow. Adults are typically an inch long and half an inch wide. Their brown forewings have black spots and the hind wings are marked by bright red streaks, plus black and white stripes at the back.
Spotted lanternflies prefer the so-called “tree of heaven” — itself an invasive tree native to China — as a host, but the flies are not terribly picky eaters.
They are known to feed on a range of other plants, including grapes, hops, stone fruits and hardwood trees. After gorging themselves, the bugs leave behind a foul-smelling, sugary and sticky residue called honeydew. The ooze is known to attract even more pests and foster mold growth, which can damage plant tissue.
Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper called the pests a serious threat to Georgia’s agriculture industry, the state’s top business sector.
“Controlling the spread of the spotted lanternfly is our best strategy for safeguarding Georgia’s agriculture industry, and we are asking for the public’s help in this effort,” Harper said in a statement.
The GDA said that while adult lanternflies will not survive a deep freeze, their eggs can make it through the winter to hatch when warmer temperatures do arrive. The agency expects the bugs will begin laying eggs in the coming weeks.
The flies are known to deposit eggs on trees, bricks, farming equipment, grills and other surfaces. The clusters resemble a “wet, gray putty before turning dull and brown, mirroring a smear of cracked mud,” according to the USDA.
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