Destructive Lanternfly Found In Two Massachusetts Towns

MILFORD, MA — Two dead spotted lanternfly were found in Milford and Norwood recently, an indication that Massachusetts may have a new destructive pest to worry about.

The state Department of Agricultural Resources is asking residents across the state to be on the lookout for the pest. The bugs likely got here in outdoor furniture or landscaping materials shipped from Pennsylvania, where the pest first took hold in the U.S. in 2014.

Lanternflys are native to Asia, and like to consume the sap of trees of heaven. But they will also feed on grapevines, maple trees, black walnut, birch and willow trees. Their presence can weaken trees, and cause death, according to agriculture officials.

"Early detection plays an important role in the protection of our state’s economic and ecological resources from invasive species, and we ask anyone who may have received shipments of wood, ornamental plants, or any other materials from Pennsylvania or other Northeastern states to help protect the natural resources and agricultural industries of Massachusetts by checking for and reporting any signs of spotted lanternfly," Department of Agriculture Commissioner John Lebeaux said in a news release.

The lanternfly wouldn't be the first harmful pest to invade Massachusetts.

The emerald ash borer has been spreading across Massachusetts since 2012. In July, Natick had to cut down a row of ash trees at the town green that the ash borer had killed. Brown marmorated stink bugs have also flourished here, and pose a serious threat to crops like apples and peaches.

The spotted lanternfly has taken hold in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Virginia and West Virginia — but since only dead lanternflys were found here, Massachusetts officials do not know if the bug has taken root.

A dead lanternfly was also found in Boston in 2018, but now state agriculture officials are launching a deeper investigation to see if the insect is living in the state.