BALTIMORE (AP) - Concerns are rising that a crop-destroying invasive insect could soon establish itself in Maryland.
The Baltimore Sun reported Thursday that a spotted lanternfly has been found in a trap in Cecil County. The insects can destroy and damage crops.
Maryland's Department of Agriculture said it hopes to prevent the insect from gaining a foothold in the state. It will conduct surveys throughout the fall and into the winter in search of any lanternfly eggs.
Maryland has been on the lookout for lanternflies since they were first spotted in Pennsylvania four years ago near the Delaware border.
The insects feed on more than 70 types of plants and crops. Those include anything from apples to oak trees.
The speckled, four-winged insect is native to China, Vietnam and parts of India.
