Spotted Lanternfly on the Move in New Jersey
July 31, 2018 
Spotted lanternfly nymphs are red with white dots. (Photo: New Jersey Department of Agriculture)
A few weeks ago spotted lanternfly (SLF) was found in Warren County, NJ, and now the New Jersey Department of Agriculture has confirmed the presence of SLF in the northern part of Mercer County. These two counties are not adjacent and the New Jersey Department of Agriculture has extended a quarantine to include Hunterdon County, which is between the location of the first find — Warren County — and this second find in Mercer County.
“The Spotted Lanternfly is an excellent hitchhiker, with the ability travel on all types of vehicles as well as various landscaping, wood-based materials, and agricultural produce,” New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher commented. “It’s imperative that we stop the movement of this pest before it can make an impact on New Jersey.”
SLF is currently in a later nymph stage and is likely to be red with white spots before becoming a full adult in mid-August.
New Jersey Department of Agriculture asks for help in tracking this pest’s location. New Jersey residents can email pictures of suspect insects to [email protected] or call the New Jersey Spotted Lanternfly Hotline at 1-833-223-2840 (BAD-BUG-0) and leave a message detailing your sighting and contact information.
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