If you see a lanternfly, also known as Lycorma delicatula, you should remove it right away. In 2014, researchers first observed it in Pennsylvania, United States, after it originated in China. Since then, it has expanded, causing substantial agricultural and environmental harm. Lanternflies feed on the sap of many plants and trees, weakening them and generating sooty mold with the sticky honeydew they produce. This mold also affects the plant by preventing photosynthesis.

Lanternflies are easily identified. Adults are approximately an inch long, with gray wings with black dots and red and black underwings. Nymphs are black with white markings and become scarlet before maturity. They puncture plants with a needle-like mouthpart and suck sap, draining the plant’s life essence.

If you spot a lanternfly, “the recommended course of action is to eliminate it.” You can kill the adults or nymphs directly. It is also critical to destroy egg masses, which resemble gray mudstains. To destroy the eggs, scrape them into a bag containing alcohol or hand sanitizer.

Taking action against lanternflies is critical to protecting our plants and the ecosystem. If you see one, remember the damage they may do and take action to help keep our ecosystems healthy.