Researchers find human transportation largely responsible for spread of invasive spotted lanternfly

Spring brings warmer weather, blooming flowers and the unfortunate re-emergence of the spotted lanternfly, a prolific invasive insect reviled for the havoc it wreaks on forests and cropland. Today, you may see egg masses—be sure to remove them if you do—and soon the nymphs will hatch across the mid-Atlantic. Arriving from Asia, spotted lanternflies were first detected in Pennsylvania in 2014 and since have spread to more than 100 counties across 10 states.