In 2014, inspectors in Berks County, Pennsylvania, found a striking, moth-like insect with black-spotted wings that had never before been recorded in the state. According to the US Department of Agriculture , the spotted lanternfly is a hitchhiking pest native to Asia that likely arrived in the United States on goods shipped from overseas, possibly as an egg mass on imported stone products. More than a decade later, the insect has become one of the most destructive agricultural pests in the eastern United States, and it has developed a particular appetite for grapevines.
Get breaking news anytime, anywhere. Download the TOI app now!
