Residents asked to report lanternfly sightings as invasive species spreads through Mass.

"If residents see a spotted lanternfly, they should first check the map to see if one has already been reported in their community. For sightings in new cities and towns, residents can take a photo and report it to the state using an online form. Adult spotted lanternflies are about an inch long, with grayish wings that have black spots on them and red hindwings underneath."

"The spotted lanternfly is native to southern China, Vietnam, and Taiwan. It first spread to South Korea and Japan in the early 2000s, and then accidentally to the U.S. in 2014 through a shipment to a business in Pennsylvania. Since then, it has spread to Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, and a range of other mid-Atlantic and midwestern states."

Spotted lanternflies have been detected in more than 50 cities and towns across nine Massachusetts counties, with clusters around Springfield, Worcester, Boston, and southeastern communities near Rhode Island. Berkshire, Franklin counties and Cape Cod have not reported sightings. Residents are asked to check the state's interactive map before photographing and reporting new sightings through an online form. Adults measure about an inch, have grayish wings with black spots and red hindwings, and mature from August to December; New England winters typically do not kill egg masses, which hatch the following spring. The species feeds on sap of over 100 plant species and threatens grapevines and young trees.

Read at Boston.com