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OKIsItJustMe

(21,020 posts)
Sat Dec 7, 2024, 02:58 AM Dec 7

New York University: Spotted Lanternflies in the US Are Living Longer--and Cities May be Helping Them Spread

https://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2024/december/spotted-lanterflies-urbanization.html
Spotted Lanternflies in the US Are Living Longer—and Cities May be Helping Them Spread
NYU researchers find longer life cycles and urban connection for the invasive insects, which could spell trouble for local ecosystems, but also point to cities as “early-detection zones” for controlling the harmful pests

Dec 4, 2024
Rachel Harrison

Spotted lanternflies—invasive insects that first landed in the United States a decade ago—are emerging earlier and staying active later each year, according to an analysis of citizen-science data by researchers at New York University. This longer life cycle and shift in activity may be driven in part by cities and their warmer climates.

The spotted lanternfly, native to parts of Asia, was first found in the US in 2014 in eastern Pennsylvania. Since then, the population has spread across the Northeast and into the Midwest and Southeast, sparking concerns about its impact on local plants and agriculture.

The colorful but harmful insects became a common sight in New York City in 2020—which wasn’t surprising to Kristin Winchell, an assistant professor of biology at NYU who studies ecology and evolution in urban environments. Cities are often home to invasive species for a number of reasons, including climate, commerce, and competition.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/biolinnean/blae099
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