Invasion of the Spotted Lanternfly
You may have first seen the red and black-winged creature fluttering about your lawn, or outside the store or on a walk with your family. You didn't think too much about it, but one day you mused, 'I don't remember seeing this insect in Connecticut before.' Then it gets worse: you are outside Market 360 or Elm City Market in New Haven and you see a horde of them, most still alive, some smashed dead on the sidewalk. (I have wondered if these critters are coming in on the packages to these markets, but more on that in the future.) I wanted to investigate, first speaking to people off the cuff — from a young woman at the train station to my dentist — and they agreed they are here, they are worried, and they've seen them .Turns out they are a serious threat to our environment , even while benign to humans. They harm crops including grapes and other fruity plants, and spread a type of sticky substance that produces mold on outdoor equipment, vehicles, clothing, pets a...