The Illinois Department of Agriculture has confirmed the first detection of Spotted Lanternfly in the state, but a field crop entomologist says it poses little threat to agriculture.
Nick Seiter with the University of Illinois tells Brownfield while the pest does not impact livestock or row crops, grape growers should keep an eye out.
“They do very well on grapes, apparently, and they can cause some pretty serious damage to grapevines if they’re left unchecked.”
He says the insect releases honeydew when feeding in trees which could also be a nuisance for agri-tourism operations if populations increase.
