STATE AG NEW | Farmers and local gardeners be aware. According to local ag sources, there’s no evidence that they are yet in Moore County, but Tennessee Division of Forestry officials are warning about the potential for an invasive plant hopper that you might mistake for a butterfly, the spotted lanternfly. State officials say that they have been spotted in both Davidson and Wilson counties.

The spotted lanternfly is native to China, India, Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam and was first detected in the United States in Pennsylvania in September 2014. The pest is known to attack more than 70 species of plants, including several important agricultural crops and a variety of other fruit and ornamental trees, shrubs, and vines. This insect also feeds on maple, walnut, and poplar.

According to the state, the spotted lanternfly is a sapsucking insect, feeding on the water and nutrients in plants and producing a byproduct called honeydew as it feeds. While this type of feeding does not directly cause a tree to decline, it can act as a plant stressor which can make the plant more susceptible to other insects and diseases or to abiotic damage. The byproduct honeydew can also coat areas underneath infested plants with a sticky substrate, and frequently also allows the growth of sooty mold, which can be an additional nuisance in residential areas.

Even if you don’t spot an actual lanternfly, you might see their egg masses, which appear as a creamy white lichen on tree branches.

If you see or suspect you see a spotted lanternfly, or an egg mass, note the date and your location as precisely as possible, take photos, then complete the form on Protect Tennessee Forests website by clicking here. •

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