Life

Squashing the spotted lanternfly problem may require enlisting other species

Bats, fungi, dogs and even trees could help curb spread of the invasive pest

A spotted lanternfly expands its wings while facing the camera in the center of the photo. It is sitting on a black surface that has been spray painted with red paint. Its red underwings with black spots closest to its body. The top of its wings are a grayish brown with black spots. In the middle of each wing is a black portion with a white strip down the center

In the past decade, invasive spotted lanternflies (adult shown in Reading, Pa., in August 2018) have been spreading in the United States.

USDA Photo by Tanya Espinosa

By Erin Garcia de Jesús

Read another version of this article at Science News Explores

A beautiful menace is on the move in the United States.