sPotted lanternflies have returned annually in the summer, relaunching conversations about how best to kill the pesky insect that threatens various US industries and species.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) released a five-year strategy to reduce the spread of the insects by 2023 through support from federal and state authorities, increased scientific research and public outreach. The initial message focused on killing insects on view, educational material about the early stages of a lanternfly’s life, and has since moved to call to scrape the pest egg masses when seen outdoors.
The problem with painted lanternflies is that they are invasive, or non-native, and have flourished in the US due to a lack of natural predators. Although the insects do not pose a threat to humans, painted lanternflies, which originate in Asia, are harmful to the ecosystem. “Invasive insects and plant diseases such as spotted lanternfly, sponge moth, citrus greening and many others cost the U.S. an estimated $40 billion a year in damage to crops, trees and other plants,” he said Kathryn Bronsky, national policy manager for the USDA sponge moth Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).
The spotted lanternfly has infested about 17 states, according to a map of the New York State Integrated Pest Management Programwith the center of its population in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland.
Scientists have been researching the best method for removing tarnished lanternflies and may have come up with some new insights. leads this year through the attraction of insects by vibrations.
How did the spotted lanternfly get here?
The painted lanterns are believed to have It arrived in the US from a shipment of rocks in 2012, although the insect’s first infestation occurred in 2014 in Berks County, Penn. In 2017, the plague was seen for the first time in Delaware County, New York, and has since continued to spread throughout the country with small infestations in Illinois, Tennessee, Michigan and others.
“[The] The spotted lanternfly has spread much faster than many invaders we have seen in the past,” said Matthew Gallo with the Finger Lakes chapter of the Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management. in a post by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. “It took gypsy moths almost 100 years just to spread from Massachusetts to New York. The spotted lanternfly reached 10 states in just seven years.”
Why Scientists Want to Get Rid of Painted Lanterns
Painted lanternflies prefer to feed on tree of heaven, another invasive species, but also feeds on at least 70 other species. The insects’ interest in grapevines, maples and black walnut trees could seriously impact the timber industries, experts say.
The pest survives by taking sap from trees and at the same time excreting a sticky substance known as honeydew. In addition to the putrid smell that can develop as the residue ferments, honeydew attracts other insects to the host tree and causes soot growth, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The tree then becomes vulnerable to other diseases and pests, damaging its growth and health. Other species that may depend on this tree for habitat are then also harmed by spotted lanternfly.
Your attraction to vibration
In January, scientists at the USDA uncovered that painted lanterns are attracted to vibrations.
“It was rumored that lanternflies are attracted to vibrations from humming electrical power lines, so we did a laboratory study of the responses of nymphs and adults to 60-cycle (60 Hz) vibrations,” he said. he said Richard Mankin, USDA entomologist. (Power lines in North America carry electricity at a rate of 60 HZ.) “The rumor proved to be correct! Both nymphs and adults walked towards the source of [the] vibrations.”
The discovery could be useful to researchers hoping to disrupt spotted lanternfly mating behavior to better mitigate the expanding population. Scientists are also investigating how insects communicate with each other to set traps, according to Scientific American.
This story originally appeared on Time.com read the full story
