Spotted Lanternflies are in Greenwich. Native to China, this is an invasive pest that threatens American agriculture and natural resources.
They feed on a wide range of plants and trees, including grapes, apples, walnut, and oak.
One of their preferred hosts is the invasive Tree-of-Heaven, but these pests spread easily by hitchhiking on vehicles or laying its eggs on most any flat surface – like the sides of box cars, propane tanks and equipment stored outside.
The Spotted Lanternfly was first detected in in 2014 in Pennsylvania, where they have taken over forests, backyards and vineyards.
This reporter sent the above Spotted Lanternfly, found on a residential property in downtown Greenwich, to the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station and received a reply from Dr. Victoria Lynn Smith, State Entomologist based in New Haven, saying the area was already known to be infested and to “kill them immediately with any means at your disposal.”
There is also information on the Spotted Lanternflies on the Town of Greenwich website.
More information from the CT Agricultural Experiment Station Residential Fact Sheet.
