Help Stop the Spotted Lanternfly

Have you heard about the Spotted Lanternfly infestation in southeast Pennsylvania?

The insect is a planthopper from China, India, and Vietnam, first discovered in Berks County, Pennsylvania, but has spread to other counties since. The Spotted Lanternfly has the potential to do harm to the state’s agriculture–especially grapes and hops. It’s a danger to the logging industry, as well, and can be a real pain to folks who live in highly infested areas.

What does this have to do with transportation and logistics?

Spotted Lanternflies like to tag-along. They lay eggs on almost any surface–cars and trucks included. So folks driving into or out of quarantined areas can spread the insect and have no knowledge of it. That’s why the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture along with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) are pursuing aggressive measures to stop the spread of the pest. Education is especially important.

What does the Spotted Lanternfly look like?

The PennState Extension site provides several pictures of egg masses, early and late nymphs, and adults. Adults are about an inch long. The forewings are gray with black spots. The hind wings have contrasting patches of black and red with a white band. The head and the legs are black while the abdomen is yellow with black bands.

What can carriers do?

If your drivers are working within the quarantined area that includes the following counties: Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Chester, Dauphin, Delaware, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Philadelphia, Schuylkill, the USDA and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture have created a simple checklist for drivers to follow.

• Before leaving company lots or worksites, check for Spotted Lanternflies on your vehicle’s doors and sides, grill, bumpers, wheel wells, roof, and cargo. While parked make sure you close windows to keep Spotted Lanternflies out.

• Check all items stored outside (propane tanks, outdoor machinery, wooden pallets, and shipping containers) for the pest before moving these items to new locations.

• If you find an egg mass scrape it into a plastic bag or container that contains rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer.

• If you find a nymph or adult Spotted Lanternfly, squash it.

• If you see Spotted Lanternflies outside the quarantine area, report them to:

extension.psu.edu/spotted-lanternfly

1-888-4-BADFLY

For more information on the Spotted Lanternfly, visit:

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

The United States Department of Agriculture

Print Your Own Truck Driver Checklist