PENNSYLVANIA — The destructive spotted lanternflies, invasive insects from Asia that wreak havoc on economies and ecosystems, appear to expanding westward into the central United States, as long forecasted.

The bugs, first discovered in America in Pennsylvania eight years ago, have been confirmed in Iowa and Michigan, state agriculture departments there have confirmed.

Warning lanterns of spread were lit when the bug was spotted in Kansas in 2021 and in North Carolina earlier this year.

RELATED: As Spotted Lanternflies Reemerge In PA, Their Legend Grows

Out to the west, states like Utah, California, and Oregon have seen carcasses of lanternflies, although it's not yet known if the bugs arrived on their own or hitched along with humans.

Should the invasive bug continue its current trajectory, according to research from iEcoLab and Temple University, it could vastly expand its territory. Forecasts published by the lab show its range more than quadrupling in the next 30 years.

Further research indicates that if the insect spreads into counties adjacent to where it is already established and across the state, the worst-case scenario is startling: a $324.9 million hit per year to the Pennsylvania economy and the loss of 2,810 jobs.

The quarantine zone for the bug was recently expanded. It now includes the entirety of eastern Pennsylvania, and a line of connected central counties heading all the way out to Allegheny on the western border.

Even in states where infestations or dead lanternflies haven’t been found, landscapers and gardeners are wise to keep an eye on them. They move quickly, jumping from plant to plant, and hitching a ride as products like landscaping plants, firewood and other products move across the country.

If you find a spotted lanternfly, file a report with state officials. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says most states are at risk, and timely reports are the best way to eradicate the insects before they become even more invasive.

Pennsylvania is home to several invasive, damaging bugs other than the lanternfly, including the European gypsy moth, the Asian gypsy moth, the European cherry fruit fly, the emerald ash borer beetle,

Spotted lanternflies have a three-stage lifecycle. They’re prolific breeders and lay masses of 30 to 50 eggs in once place. The eggs are covered with a waxy, mud-colored substance called an ootheca that dries and cracks, an effective camouflage. They overwinter as eggs, go through four nymphal development stages (instars) and an adult stage.

Right now, spotted lanternflies are in their adult stage.

The Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences notes that while many photos show them with their wings unfolded, exposing their red-spotted underwings, that only happens when they’re ready to take flight. It’s more common to see adults resting with their black-spotted, pinkish-tan wings folded over their backs. When females are carrying eggs, their abdomens swell to the point they can barely fly.

If you see them, trap them.

New Jersey Patch collaborated with Duke Farms environmental experts to show readers how to make do-it-yourself lanternfly traps. (See the 11-minute step-by-step video below.)

2 plastic 1-gallon milk or water jugs that can be cut with scissors 2 one-half-inch thick rubber bands 1 22-inch-long piece of 16-gauge metal wire 1 24-inch-by-36-inch plastic coated screen, such as a window screen replacement 1 2.5-gallon Ziplock bag 1 6-inch long piece of all-weather tape Hot glue gun and glue sticks All-natural string or twine

Here are more things to know about spotted lanternflies:

The plant hoppers aren’t picky eaters as nymphs, feeding on more than 100 varieties of fruit, ornamental and woody trees, as well as vines, vegetables, herbs and grains. Areas with substantial grape industries are worried because a spotted lanternfly infestation can not only reduce yield, but lower the sugar in remaining grapes.

Adult spotted lanternflies are a bit more finicky, preferring another invasive species, tree of heaven, and also grape vines. Last year, agriculture officials in California imposed a quarantine on some products coming from areas where spotted lanternfly infestations have been reported.

Although lanternflies usually do not kill plants, they suck out sugars that significantly weaken their hosts and leave behind massive amounts of honeydew — that is, excrement — which is typical of the true bug order Hemiptera.

The honeydew can attract other insects, including wasps, ants and bees, and also cause a sooty mold to grow on the plant, interfering with its ability to photosynthesize and create the energy it needs to survive and grow.

Spotted lanternflies also are a “huge public nuisance,” according to Kelly Oten, an expert on the insects at the College of Natural Resources at North Carolina State University.

“They aggregate in large numbers and have been known to swarm restaurant doors, enter local businesses, fly up people’s shirts, and amass on outdoor furniture, toys and trees,” Oten said after the insects were confirmed in North Carolina. “Everyone will know and loathe this insect.”

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