UPDATE: A spotted lanternfly quarantine has now been issued for Harford and Cecil Counties.
Original story below…
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NOTTINGHAM, MD – The Maryland Department of Agriculture is asking residents to be on the lookout for adult spotted lanternflies.
When full-grown, these invasive pests are strikingly-colored with grayish spotted front wings and red, white, and black patterned hind wings.
The body is yellow/black-banded and they are approximately one-inch in size.
The spotted lanternfly may be small, but it poses a major threat to our region’s agriculture industry as they feed on over 70 different types of crops, including grapes, hops, tree fruits, hardwoods, and ornamentals – just to name a few.
Maryland’s first spotted lanternfly was confirmed in Cecil County last October.
Anyone who sees this pest is asked to snap a photo of it, catch it, freeze it in a plastic bag, and send it to the Maryland Department of Agriculture. Residents should also report it to [email protected].
For more information on the spotted lanternfly, please visit the department’s website here.
