Could the spotted Lanternfly affect KY agriculture?
An invasive species could cause major crop damage throughout the Commonwealth, and could have an impact on the state's economy and quality of life if not controlled.
Gallatin County, Ky (WTVQ): An invasive species could cause major crop damage throughout the Commonwealth, and could have an impact on the state’s economy and quality of life if not controlled, that is according to Professor Jonathan Larson, an extension entomologist with the University of Kentucky
The Spotted Lantern Fly, originally from Asia, was discovered recently in Gallatin County in October. The pest was first discovered in the United States in Pennsylvania in 2014.
“The Spotted Lanternfly is a sap sucking pest so they land on plants and they suck the juices out with these big piercing sucking mouth parts,” Larson said. “One of the biggest ways these pests impact our agriculture is through the production of grapes. And then wine production here because that is one of their favorite things to eat because it does impact the health of the grapevines,” he said.
Scientists say the species feeds on more than seventy distinct host plants. Their high numbers on host plants can decrease the value of parks, and back yards that are infested. But an even bigger concern is how fast these insects populate, typically laying about 40 eggs at a time.
Larson says they particularly like maple trees. “They’ll get on these trees, they get there by the thousands,” he said. “You can see these horrific news stories from other states that there’s just hundreds to thousands of insects crawling all over the place,” he said.
Larson says they don’t bite or sting, but they make it unpleasant to go outside. “They will lay their eggs occasionally on things like cars and trucks and train,” he said. “So, then the eggs can be delivered elsewhere. Adults will also ride on these methods of transportation and unfortunately show up in new areas. Then they can just lay their eggs there and we get a new population started,”
Larson says, unfortunately, he sees these insects spreading throughout the Commonwealth. “If you can send us the information of where you found it, what counties it’s in and then the image itself. We’ll get back to you and let you know if you’ve discovered the Spotted Lanternfly then we will probably come and do surveys there as well,” he said. If you see one, the University asks that you take a picture and then report it to ReportAPest@uky.edu.
