A new invasive insect is trying to make Georgia its home — and the public’s help is critical to tracking the invasion, according to University of Georgia researchers.
The spotted lanternfly, an insect native to Asia, was first detected in Pennsylvania in 2014. Since then, lanternflies steadily spread across the eastern United States and has now been confirmed in 19 states.
Last fall, the Georgia Department of Agriculture announced Georgia’s first detection of this insect in Fulton County after a member of the public observed a suspicious-looking insect and reported it to EDDMapS, the state’s official tool for lanternfly sightings…