PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, January 9, 2025
MEDIA CONTACT:
Jacob Ricker
The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
123 Huntington Street
New Haven, CT 06511
Email: Jacob.Ricker@ct.gov
New Haven, CT - The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES), in cooperation with USDA APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ), continued to detect expanding populations of the spotted lanternfly (SLF) in Connecticut through 2025. The Director of CAES hereby announces the renewal of the Order of Quarantine for SLF that was established 1 July 2021, effective January 1, 2026. More information about SLF, the quarantine order and state quarantine requirements can be found at: https://portal.ct.gov/CAES-SLF.
In 2020 through 2025, multiple adult SLF populations were detected in Fairfield, Hartford, Litchfield, Middlesex, New Haven, New London, and Tolland Counties. The distribution of this insect continues to expand, posing a threat to agriculture, hence, the renewal and expansion of the quarantine noted in the original order. If you plan on traveling, check your outdoor belongings for egg masses and remove them to prevent the spread. Currently, the insect is overwintering in egg masses. Companies moving regulated articles from the State of Connecticut should enter into a compliance agreement to help mitigate movement of this pest, to prevent the spread of the insect and to protect our trading partners. If you suspect you have found an SLF, snap a picture of it and report it here: CAES Pest Reporting Tool.
Native to China, India, and Vietnam, the spotted lanternfly is an invasive sap-feeding planthopper that was discovered in Pennsylvania in 2014. SLF infestations have been reported in the District of Columbia, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. The nymphal stage of this insect is currently active with adults appearing late summer. In the fall, adults about 1 inch long can often be found congregating on tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus), willows and other trees. They will lay egg masses on trees and almost any nearby stationary surface like rocks, decks, houses, outdoor equipment, and furniture, etc.
Nymphs of SLF will hatch from the eggs in the spring, late April through June. This insect attacks many hosts and has the potential to severely impact Connecticut’s farm crops, particularly apples, grapes, and hops, and several tree species. The secretion of excess sap called honeydew can also be a nuisance for residential infestations. Additional information is available at https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Forestry/Forest-Protection/Spotted-Lanternfly and https://extension.psu.edu/spotted-lanternfly.
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