The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning Canadians to keep an eye out for an invasive species that has been spotted in some Northern US States. The Spotted Lanternfly is native to Asia, and CFIA Senior Specialist Diana Mooij says the worry is eggs being brought into the country accidentally.
"It's got these pinkish grey wings with spots on them, and then when they open the wings it's this bright yellow colouration on the underwings, and the females have these bright yellow bodies. Unfortunately, the egg masses are the most likely way this is going to come to Canada and they're very difficult to identify. They could look just like splashes of mud or splashes of concrete, they're very dull gray-brown looking in colour."
While they haven't arrived in Canada yet, the CFIA wants to make sure people know what to do if they do spot them says Mooij.
"If somebody thinks they have found a spotted lanternfly in Canada, we would ask that they take a photo of it, secure the insect if they can or kill the insect, and then report it to the CFIA as soon as possible, providing that photo to us so we can have a look. From the photo, we should be able to identify it."
More information about the spotted lanternfly, including how to report a sighting can be found here.
