DEC asks for help as Spotted Lanternfly arrives on Long Island

DEC asks for help as Spotted Lanternfly arrives on Long Island

FILE - This Sept. 19, 2019, file photo shows a spotted lanternfly at a vineyard in Kutztown, Pa. According to Rhode Island state environmental officials, Friday, Aug. 6, 2021, the insect that can cause damage to native trees and agricultural crops has been found recently in the state. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

East Farmingdale, NY- Have you spotted a Spotted Lanternfly?  The highly invasive bug that has coloring like a ladybug but a body more like a moth has been making its way across Long Island, worrying farmers and vineyards on the East End. The Department of Environmental Conservation calls the Spotted Lanternfly “an invasive pest from Asia” and says the bug feeds on trees and plants including hops, grapes and fruit trees and says it mostly travels with humans on vehicles, firewood and outdoor furniture.

Anyone who finds a Spotted Lanternfly, is asked to capture and kill the bug and send an email with a picture and location to [email protected]

Photo: (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

By Brett Levine