Invasive Insects and Other Animals
The Spotted Lanternfly
On September 22, 2014, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Game Commission, confirmed the presence the Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula, (WHITE)) in Berks County, Pennsylvania, the first detection of this non-native species in the United States. Upon determination that the potential impact to Pennsylvania's agricultural economy and natural resources was great, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture issued a quarantine with the intent to restrict the movement of the Spotted Lanternfly on November 1, 2014. 26 counties in Pennsylvania are now under limited quarantine as the Department and its federal, state, local and non-governmental cooperators develop a strategy to eliminate this pest from the Commonwealth.
> Penn State Extension Information about The Spotted Lanternfly
> Penn State Extension Information about The Spotted Lanternfly
Fall Armyworms
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Fall armyworms are caterpillars that feed ravenously on grasses, corn, alfalfa, soybeans, and over seventy additional plant species. Unlike many pests, this insect is native to the Americas. The fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) is a caterpillar of a tropical moth in the family Noctuidae. None of its life stages, egg, caterpillar, pupa, or adult, can survive a Pennsylvania winter. It is so sensitive to temperature that in the United States, it can only overwinter in south Florida or south Texas. How could this insect get to Pennsylvania to destroy lawns, pastures, and crops?
https://extension.psu.edu/fall-armyworm-invasion |
Jumping Earthworm
In 2018, the Penn State Extension Master Gardener Coordinator alerted the public to a relatively new invasive threat, the Jumping Earthworms. These worms have been spotted in Fox Chapel, and, according to one report, Verona.
Following is a link to the 2018 article as updated in 2020. It explains why these earthworms are a danger to your soil, and how to identify them. The article also indicates that the late freeze in May of 2020 killed many hatchlings (the adults die after the first freeze but the cocoons survive the winter).
https://extension.psu.edu/look-out-for-jumping-earthworms
Following is a link to the 2018 article as updated in 2020. It explains why these earthworms are a danger to your soil, and how to identify them. The article also indicates that the late freeze in May of 2020 killed many hatchlings (the adults die after the first freeze but the cocoons survive the winter).
https://extension.psu.edu/look-out-for-jumping-earthworms
