UPDATE: A spotted lanternfly quarantine has now been issued for Harford and Cecil Counties.

Original story below…

——

NOTTINGHAM, MD – The Maryland Department of Agriculture is asking residents to be on the lookout for adult spotted lanternflies.

When full-grown, these invasive pests are strikingly-colored with grayish spotted front wings and red, white, and black patterned hind wings.

The body is yellow/black-banded and they are approximately one-inch in size.

The spotted lanternfly may be small, but it poses a major threat to our region’s agriculture industry as they feed on over 70 different types of crops, including grapes, hops, tree fruits, hardwoods, and ornamentals – just to name a few.

Maryland’s first spotted lanternfly was confirmed in Cecil County last October.

Anyone who sees this pest is asked to snap a photo of it, catch it, freeze it in a plastic bag, and send it to the Maryland Department of Agriculture.  Residents should also report it to [email protected].

For more information on the spotted lanternfly, please visit the department’s website here.