Valley Forge has been covered in Spotted Lanternflies for years already, but we only started seeing them 25 miles away in South Philadelphia over the last couple of summers. This nymph is perching on our picnic bag in Jefferson Square. They can be hard to disturb and like to just hang on like this, traveling on clothing and bags — well adapted to be spread by humans. The adults are pinkish grey and quite large with hidden bright red hindwings, but they are leafhoppers and fly rather heavily, only taking off when they really need to. Preferring to ravage trees, they have not yet shown up in our garden, and I am not sure if they will feed on roses, limes or the other small bushes that I grow. Since 2014 they have become one of the MidAtlantic’s most invasive and serious pests.
The first time I saw one, I was found it beautiful. But soon you will see hundreds. If you see one, please smash it.
