Lycorma delicatula continues to spread in the USA
In the USA, Lycorma delicatula (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae - EPPO A1 List) was first found in Pennsylvania in 2014 (EPPO RS 2013/023). As of October 2020, infestations have been confirmed in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia, West Virginia, and more recently in Connecticut (Fairfield county) and Ohio (Jefferson county) (Cornell University, 2020). Isolated findings or interceptions have also been reported from New York state, Maine, Massachusetts and Oregon, but for the moment no established populations are reported from these states. Information campaigns are being carried out in the USA, and members of the public are generally invited to report any signs of the pest.
In Maine, the detection of egg masses of L. delicatula was reported in September 2020. Egg masses were found on trees which had been introduced from Pennsylvania, a state where the pest is established. For the moment, only egg masses have been observed therefore there is currently no evidence that L. delicatula is established in Maine (Maine.gov, 2020).
In Massachusetts, 2 dead specimens of L. delicatula were found in the towns of Milford and Norwood in autumn 2020. It is recalled that a dead specimen had previously been found near Boston in December 2018, but repeated surveys did not find the pest (Massachusetts Introduced Pests Outreach Project, 2020).
In Oregon, a dead female specimen of L. delicatula was found by a nursery near Corvallis in a shipment of planters and ceramic pots sent to Oregon from Pennsylvania (Oregon Department of Agriculture, 2020).
Sources
INTERNET
- Cornell University. New York State Integrated Pest Management (2020-10-29). Spotted lanternfly. Confirmed spotted lanternfly locations. https://nysipm.cornell.edu/environment/invasive-species-exotic-pests/spotted-lanternfly/
- Maine.gov. Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (2020-09-29) Invasive spotted lanternfly egg masses found in Maine. https://www.maine.gov/dacf/about/news/news.shtml?id=3382574
- Massachusetts Introduced Pests Outreach Project (2020-09-25). State agricultural officials urge residents to report signs of invasive spotted lanternfly. https://massnrc.org/pests/blog/?p=2623
- Oregon Department of Agriculture. News Release (2020-10-08) Oregon nursery finds destructive spotted lanternfly, first ever reported in Oregon. https://odanews.wpengine.com/oregon-nursery-finds-destructive-spotted-lanternfly-first-ever-reported-in-oregon/