Guest Post by Michael Lesher
Remember the spotted lanternfly? Barely a year ago, this colorful winged insect was supposed to be a harbinger of national disaster.
Native to China but increasingly visible in border-jumping swarms in the eastern United States, the spotted lanternfly’s activities in this country had been well known since 2014 – and until recently hadn’t provoked any particular alarm. But in the dog days of 2022, just as coronavirus hysteria seemed to be fading, the Chinese bug suddenly emerged as Public Enemy No 1.
In case you’ve forgotten, here’s a sample of last summer’s fear porn, this one from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture but couched in the hysterical accents that characterized lanternfly lingo wherever it appeared:
If you see a spotted lanternfly…Kill it! Squash it, smash it…just get rid of it. In the fall, these bugs will lay egg masses with 30-50 eggs each. These are called bad bugs for a reason, don’t let them take over your county next.
A Quarantine and Treatment Order is in place to help prevent the spread of spotted lanternfly…Quarantine zones may be expanded to new areas…
In other words: Panic!
Continue reading “Where Have All the Lanternflies Gone?”
