Experts Say Spotted Lanternfly Set to Invade Michigan

This may be the first you're hearing of spotted lanternflies. At first glance, you may even find them pretty - with their speckled wings and a splotch of red that is said to flash when they fly. But this won't be the last you hear of the invasive bugs, which experts say are posed to invade Michigan

The species is said to be a threat to fruit trees and agriculture in our state and has made residents of eastern Pennsylvania feel like prisoners in their own homes.

The video below is from WFMZ-TV in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where the bugs were first detected in the US five years ago.

Spotted lanternflies are native to Southeast Asia. The bugs have since migrated out to New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia, New York and Maryland. They are known to lay eggs on vehicles and because those states have a rich trucking industry, experts predict that a rapid spread is imminent.

“This is one of those very scary situations where it’s hard to say where they’re going to show up next,” said Joanne Foreman, an invasive species expert with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, according to Fox 17.

Tree fruits and grapes in Michigan are said to be most-vulnerable to the invasion as those crops are valued at roughly $350 million annually.

Foreman, along with an outreach team of farmers and entomologists are beginning a statewide campaign to help prevent the bug's arrival.