Spotted Lantern Fly invasion

The newest pest to invade our area, the Spotted Lantern Fly, hopped a ride from China and other points in SoSpotted Lantern Fly imageutheast Asia.
It's spreading from Eastern Pennsylvania to New York, Delaware, and now New Jersey, including Camden County, causing alarm at state departments of agriculture, the US Department of Agriculture, and those who care for or manage natural lands including the Cherry Hill Environmental Board (CHEB).

CHEB's responsibilities include managing Cherry Hill natural open space lands to benefit wildlife and the soil, vegetation and wetlands wildlife need for survival. the Cherry Hill Trails Program offers access to these natural lands in a sustainable way. An ongoing CHEB challenge is the control and removal of invasive species to promote the flourishing of habitat for native plants and animals and to increase the natural experience of trail users.

Invasive species rob nature of the plants and animals that are supposed to live in our area. The Spotted Lantern Fly is the latest threat to native trees, plants and the wildlife they depend on.

How can you help stop the Spotted Lantern Fly invasion?

  • Complete the NJ Department of Agriculture checklist
  • Remove one of its host plants, the Tree of Heaven. This invasive tree was introduced from China and has spread far and wide in the US.
  • Stomp on every Spotted Lantern Fly you see.
  • Join CHEB for an Invasive Species Removal Day in April 2020; part of the series of events celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the Cherry Hill Trails.


Article by Lew Gorman III, Chair, Cherry Hill Environmental Board
Published in Winter 2020 Cherry Hill Community Magazine.