Camden County Residents Asked To Help Identify Spotted Lanternfly

CAMDEN COUNTY, NJ — Health officials in Camden County are asking residents to help identify a new pest that has been spotted in the area. The Spotted Lanternfly has recently been seen in Camden County, officials said this week.

The Spotted Lanternfly is an invasive insect that has spread throughout southeastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey. It is threatening agriculture and the region’s hardwood trees, officials said.

“We need your help and ask that you please contact the County Entomologist at (856) 374-6042 if you see an SLF,” Camden County Freeholder Carmen Rodriguez, liaison to the Department of Health and Human Services, said. “The public’s assistance in identifying the early locations of this insect will be critical to stopping its spread.”

Spotted lanternflies are not known to bite, sting, or attack people, pets or livestock, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Agricultures. It is not known whether they are poisonous when ingested by humans or animals. The pest is primarily a threat to agriculture including many fruits and crops.

The plant hopper is a native to China, India, and Vietnam. Not only does the plant die but the "fermented odor" caused by the feeding, along with the fluid excreted by the insects themselves, promotes mold growth and draws even more insects, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

In addition to ecological degradation, the lanternfly can have a significant economic impact. The bug threatens Pennsylvania's $20.5 million grape industry, $134 million apple industry, $24 million stone fruit industry, and $12 billion hardwood industry, agriculture officials said.

For more information about the Spotted Lanternfly, visit https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/resources/pests-diseases/hungry-pests/the-threat/spotted-lanternfly/spotted-lanternfly.