ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Maryland's Department of Agriculture has issued a quarantine in an attempt to contain the spotted lanternfly in Cecil and Harford counties.
The Baltimore Sun reports the quarantine, announced Monday, restricts movement within the quarantine zone of regulated articles, such as construction waste or plants,that may contain the insect in any of its stages.
Spotted lanternflies feed on more than 70 types of plants and crops, including grapes and apples as well as oak and pine trees. Because lanternflies attach to many surfaces, they easily travel from place to place.
The speckled, four-winged insect is native to China, Vietnam and parts of India. After it was detected in Berks County, Pennsylvania, the insect has spread to other parts of that state and to parts of Delaware, Virginia and New Jersey.
