Spotted Laternfly by Avian Rojas (Age: 13)

The spotted lanternfly is not a new insect in the United States. In fact, they came from China and most likely came from cargo ships. The spotted lanternfly is a moth-looking insect. An adult has peach wings and black dots on its wings and its body has red with black spots. They have been spotted in the northeastern states. The lanternfly uses its nose to get inside plants to suck out all the energy. After sucking the energy from the plant they produce honeydew and that grows into a black mold on the plant which makes it harder for the plants to get sunlight. They also make a lot of eggs before they die in winter. The baby ones are red and have white dots. Lanternflies have been here for quite some time.

There are many reasons why Spotted Lanternflies are a big threat. One reason is that they kill many plants. Most farmers have to be on the lookout for spotted lanternflies. They can easily kill plants and stop them from getting more sunlight. They come in swarms to drink. In one of the northeastern states, they can cause damage that costs over 50 million dollars to fix. They also drink out of trees.

There are many ways to stop the spreading of spotted lanternflies. One way is to check for the Spotted Lanternfly everywhere. If you see it kill it so it does not reproduce. Some bugs like a praying mantis can help get rid of them. But that is not enough to stop them. Honey bees also help by pollinating the plants. Another way that can help is checking flat surfaces for the eggs of the lanternfly. Lanternflies lay their eggs on flat surfaces so good to check them. Lanternflies are very good hitchhikers, so they might be in your car and you wouldn't even know. These are ways you can help stop the spread of lanternflies.