Residents here in the Upper Raritan River watershed are at the battlefront for stopping the spread of the spotted lanternfly – a species native to Asia. Raritan Headwaters is a nonprofit environmental organization with a mission of protecting water resources in the Upper Raritan. Our forests are key to maintaining good water quality, and the spotted lanternfly puts native forests and water resources at risk.
The spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) is not a species of “fly” at all; it is actually a planthopper that feeds on the sap of trees and grapevines, often resulting in great damage. The spotted lanternfly was first introduced to Berks County, PA, from Asia in 2014 and has since been rapidly spreading.
Like most invasive exotic species, they have certain key ecological traits: they have few natural predators in their new home; they are very prolific and reproduce quickly; and they are flexible in their ecological requirements such as food, habitat, and temperature tolerances. Many species invasive to New Jersey come from Europe and cooler regions of Asia because the climate in those places is like ours.
Once established, the spotted lanternfly can wreak havoc on our native species, which have never had the chance to meet them and evolve to compete or defend themselves against these newly introduced species. Our regions’ forest ecosystems and agricultural economy are at great risk from spotted lanternfly and other invasive plants and animals and, in fact, invasive species cost our economy billions of dollars each year. The spotted lanternfly attacks fruit trees (think orchards), grapevines (think vineyards), and our native hardwood and pine trees. Its preferred food is another prolific invasive – the tree-of-heaven or Ailanthus (Ailanthus altissima). We are still learning about the impacts and control of this new insect in our region but we do know we need to take measures to stop its spread.
In the Upper Raritan watershed, Somerset and Hunterdon counties are considered under quarantine for spotted lanternfly and there is no need to report sightings. Morris County is still on the invasion front. If you live in Morris County, report new sightings to the State of New Jersey Department of Agriculture at the Department by emailing slf-plantindustry@ag.nj.gov or by calling 609-406-6943.
Here is what YOU can do to help stop the spread of spotted lanternfly:
For additional resources on identifying, reporting, and controlling spotted lanternfly and tree-of-heaven visit the NJ Department of Agriculture Spotted Lanternfly Program.