Please Kill this Bug
In the midst of a crisis in pollinator populations, we're being asked to kill spotted lanternflies -- to prevent damage to trees and their spread to agricultural areas upstate. Entomologist Jessica Ware, associate curator in invertebrate zoology at the American Museum of Natural History and president-elect of the Entomological Society of America, talks about this unwanted species and how to help sustain the bugs we need.
→NYC Parks information on the Spotted Lanternfly infestation, including how to identify them and what to do if you see them.
@BrianLehrer to squish lantern flies attack them from the front, they take off by jumping forward
— Jean Haggas (@HaggasJean) September 22, 2021
@BrianLehrer you could give out the Spotted Lanternfly Hotline 1-888-422-3359.
— Sami Plotkin (@samiplotkin) September 22, 2021@BrianLehrer #spottedlanternflies all over Jersey City, so far I’ve only seen adults. I Squish them when I can pic.twitter.com/HstOMLXo5p
— Eileen ferara (@EileenFerara) September 22, 2021
Contains info on how to report in several states. https://t.co/ToJKe1F0hN
— Bettty (@BetttyBarrr) September 22, 2021
tree of heaven looks like this: pic.twitter.com/NSaxxJz3Ew
— Hee Jin Kang (@heejola) September 22, 2021
@BrianLehrer Saw a spotted fly in a Park Slope west rooftop last week. After admiring it briefly, we stomped it.
— Eric Hipp (@eroyhipp) September 22, 2021
@BrianLehrer I found one on my car at the Short Hills Mall parking lot and squished it, then another one flew on my car and I killed it. Feeling pretty good about getting rid of two I noticed 2 dozen on the tree next to me. Is stomping really effective enough?
— Jill Hammarberg (@Hammarspeak) September 22, 2021
@BrianLehrer join @inaturalist and report spotted lantern fly photos
— Paul Cavalconte (@PaulCavalconte) September 22, 2021
I just camped in the DE water Gap. The spotted lantern fly has already become predominant insect in that area. We saw at least 4 per square meter. We killed at least 100.
— Babin (@Babin69406647) September 22, 2021
@BrianLehrer I'm a crane operator at port Newark, and I've seen them all over the piers. Clusters of them. We've had to keep our windows closed although we're 14 stories in the air. I've killed at least 30 lol.
— OPUSXTRAVELXART (@MauricePorcher) September 22, 2021
My 10 year old son taught me that Trees of Heaven can be ID'ed by smooshing their leaves and smelling them - the leaves smell of burnt peanut butter. We've found & squashed many Lanternflies all over Williamsburg by locating the trees first.
— Hee Jin Kang (@heejola) September 22, 2021
I squished one while waiting for the M15 bus on Saturday and felt like an environmental hero for a second
— Patrick says “You cant bully a billionaire” 🌹☀️🦷 (@PatrickForNYC) September 22, 2021
