A spotted lanternfly was recently detected not far from the Niagara wine-growing region.
This invasive insect species has the potential to do millions of dollars of damage to Ontario’s wine and grape-growing industry.
According to the Invasive Species Centre, the spotted lanternfly is “an invasive plant-hopper native to Southeast Asia.”
The insect was first detected in North America in Pennsylvania in 2014 and has spread to a number of other states since.
The spotted lanternfly loves to feed on grape vines, sucking the sap out of them, causing them to collapse.
Debbie Zimmerman, Chief Executive Officer of Grape Growers of Ontario expressed her concerns, “it’s a much more aggressive pest than we’ve seen in the past.”
The insects could devastate entire vineyards, which would each cost upwards of $45,000 an acre to replant.
More about the spotted lanternfly
The invasive specifies can be found in its three life stages. The Invasive Species entre describes its eggs as "brown, seed-like, covered in a grey, mud-coloured secretion."
The eggs are found grouped together in a vertical formation, usually on trees and can be laid on any surface, including cars.
The nymphs grow in four stages. They start out with black and white spots and as they mature, they gain red spots with distinctive patches of black and white.
Adult lanternflies have approximately one-inch-long wings. They have black and grey spots but appear bright red when the wings are open.
Although it has yet to be detected in Canada, industry experts say it’s only a matter of time before the spotted lanternfly crosses the border.