The Georgia Department of Agriculture said the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has confirmed the presence of spotted lanternfly in the state.
The invasive pest was first found in the U.S. in Berks County, Pa., and has been confirmed in 17 states, including Tennessee and North Carolina. With the APHIS identification, Georgia becomes the 18th state.
“We urge anyone who sees the spotted lanternfly in their area to document it, report it and kill it,” Tyler Harper, Georgia agriculture commissioner, said in a news release. “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.”
Inspectors from the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s protection division said the first sighting occurred Oct. 22 in Fulton County and that entomologists from the University of Georgia confirmed the identification of the specimen before sending it in to APHIS for final confirmation.
Spotted lanternfly is native to Asia and feeds on a variety of plants and crops including grapes, hops and stone fruit (peaches and plums). Adult insects weaken plants through feeding and secrete honeydew, a sticky sugary substance that encourages the growth of sooty mold, according to the Georgia Department of Agriculture.
Mike Evans, director of department’s plant protection division, said the rapid spread of spotted lanternfly in the U.S. is partly due to human movement. Adult females lay eggs on almost any surface including tires, RVs, vehicles, chairs, etc. Evans encourages the inspection of equipment, vehicles and other items for egg masses and the reporting of any spotted lanternflies so growers can prepare.
“We do have insecticides that control it, but it’s going to be a problem for some of our stone fruit growers, grape growers,” Evans said in the release. “We cannot eradicate it — it’s too wide of a host range and too widespread — but other states have taken messages of ‘if you see it, take a picture of it, kill it and then report it,’ and we’re going to do something very similar.”
