About

In 2014 a seemingly innocent shipment of decorative rocks from China caused one of the worst species invasions that the United States has ever seen. In between the stones were Spotted Lantern Fly eggs that would grow up to eat over 70 species of native plants. Their feces also covers flora in a thick coating, preventing photosynthesis which leads to widespread plant decay. Native plants and animals will die, and hundreds of jobs will be lost. Sadly, the dangerous combination of dying plants, low harvest yields, and buying more seeds to replace what the Spotted Lanternflies destroyed may cost over $50 million dollars in New Jersey alone. The farmers in the Northeastern United States are suffering the most.