Last week, the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services established a quarantine for the City of Winchester and Frederick County in an effort to prevent the spread of spotted lanternfly, an invasive pest first detected in Winchester in 2018.

A pest of crops like grapes, apples, peaches, and hops as well as ornamental trees, spotted lanternfly threatens farmers and homeowners alike. Over the year since it was first discovered in Winchester, the species has increased its distribution from about one square mile to 16 square miles. VDACS' quarantine targets the pest's movement beyond its current distribution in Virginia by regulating items on which the pest may try to hitch a ride. Eric Day, manager of the Insect ID Lab in the Virginia Tech Department of Entomology, and lab and research technician Theresa Dellinger share their tips for identifying and managing spotted lanternfly and for understanding the new quarantine.