The Middletown Township website now features a webpage with information available to residents about the spotted lanternfly, an invasive species in the area that poses a threat to trees and agriculture. Spotted lanternflies have been present in Central Bucks County and around the Philadelphia area for the last few years.
In the spring and summer months, spotted lanternflies appear as a black beetle-like bug with white spots, or a burnt orange bug with black and white spots. In late summer into the fall, the bugs mature into adults and look like large moths with grey and red wings with black spots. In the winter and spring, they lay eggs on tree bark and lie dormant.
Local authorities encourage anyone who sees a spotted lanternfly in any stage of its lifecycle to kill it immediately. Residents with large numbers of spotted lanternflies should consider targeted remediation such as constructing a trap.
Residents are encouraged to report spotted lanternfly sightings to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.
