Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources asking public to keep an eye out for spotted lanternfly pest

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources is asking the public to keep an eye out for the invasive pest known as spotted lanternfly as the pest is now active and has been seen in several parts of Massachusetts.

In addition to the agricultural impacts it causes, spotted lanternfly has the potential to negatively impact outdoor activities due to the swarming behavior of this pest when the adults appear in the late summer. SLF egg masses are about an inch and a half long, and are flat and gray in color, making them difficult to detect, especially on tree bark.

Spotted lanternfly is a sap-feeding insect that has caused significant impacts to vineyards, orchards, and other agricultural commodities in states where it has become established. SLF not only harms grapevines, maples, hops, blueberries, and over 100 other host plants, but has been observed to impact outdoor recreation in other states where populations are high and adult lanternflies swarm in large numbers during mating season.

If you see any signs of spotted lanternfly, please report it to MDAR at https://massnrc.org/pests/slf.