By Kate Evans, The Morgan Messenger
MORGAN COUNTY, W.Va. — The invasive spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) continues to expand its range as it threatens fruit trees, hardwood trees and crops in many states, including West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia. The insect was first found in Pennsylvania in 2014.
The spotted lanternfly was first sighted in Berkeley County on October 2019 and in Jefferson County in May, 2021. The insect was first reported in Morgan County in September 2021.
Washington and Frederick Counties were added to the Maryland quarantine list for spotted lanternfly in January 2022. Winchester and northern Frederick County, Virginia and Pennsylvania have large populations of the insect.
Agriculture officials have said that if the insect is allowed to spread that it could severely impact the country’s grape orchards, fruit trees, plant nurseries, ornamental trees and forest industries.
The spotted lanternfly sucks the sap out of stems and branches, weakening the plants, causing stunted growth and reduced yield, even killing the plants. Their feeding leaves behind a sticky residue called honeydew that encourages a black, sooty mold to grow that can also cause plant damage.
According to information from the West Virginia Department of Agriculture, the trees that the spotted lanternfly feeds on develop weeping wounds with the areas of sap attracting other insects like wasps, hornets and ants. The spotted lanternfly feeding damage could kill plants and trees especially if combined with stressors such as drought, disease and other pests.
