Stop the Spread!!!
The Woburn Conservation Commission, Department of Public Works and Engineering Division would like you to be on the lookout for the spotted lanternfly, recently observed in Woburn. The City has been contacted by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources with this important information below.
From Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources:
The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources confirmed a sighting of the invasive insect known as Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula, “SLF”) in Woburn in December 2020, when a local business informed us of a dead SLF discovered on their premises. Spotted lanternfly can easily hitchhike on vehicles or shipments of materials, either as an adult or in egg masses, and we were able to trace the find in your town back to a state where SLF has already been found (see a map here: https://nysipm.cornell.edu/environment/invasive-species-exotic-pests/spotted-lanternfly). Our initial investigations did not find any evidence that SLF has become established in your municipality. However, as a precaution, surveys are planned in the area where the insect was found.
Spotted lanternfly is an invasive sap-feeding insect from Asia that was first found in the United States in 2014, in the state of Pennsylvania. While the main host plant of this pest is tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima), SLF attacks a variety of trees, shrubs, and vines, and has the potential to impact a broad range of agricultural commodities, including grapes and wine, apples, peaches, and maple syrup.
We encourage you to report any possible sightings of the Spotted Lanternfly to the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources at: https://massnrc.org/pests/pestFAQsheets/spottedlanternfly.html
