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Have you spotted the spotted lantern flies?

Spotted lanternflies are an invasive species that originate from Asia and have become problematic in the United States because they can damage crops and trees, particularly fruit trees and grapevines. The lanternflies feed on the sap of plants and excrete a sugary substance known as honeydew, which can attract other pests like ants and wasps, and promote the growth of a black sooty mold that can reduce photosynthesis in plants.

Citations

• Randall’s Island Park Alliance. https://randallsisland.org/events/spotted-lanternfly-egg-hunt/
• USDA. https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/resources/pests-diseases/hungry-pests/the-threat/spotted-lanternfly/spotted-lanternfly
• OpenAI’s ChatGPT was used to generate parts of the descriptive paragraph featured here.