Remember those exotic-looking insects that some agriculture officials feared would hitch a ride on Christmas trees last winter and expand their turf? Turns out the Christmas tree threat never materialized, but during recent months spotted lanternflies have invaded a few more counties in New Jersey.

The most recent sightings of spotted lanternflies were confirmed this week in Camden County, prompting public officials to urge residents to be on the lookout for those invasive insects in an effort to stop them from destroying crops or fruit trees.

If you do happen to spot one of these bugs at your home, in your yard or on your car, what should you do?

“If you see it, kill it,” said Dan Keashen, a spokesman for Camden County. “Those insects should be eliminated and destroyed. They are an invasive species. They can wreak havoc with the agricultural community, and they can destroy crops en mass.”

In addition to killing these insects — the same way you would kill any unwanted bugs inside your home, by squashing them or spraying them — Keashen said residents of Camden County should report their sighting to the county entomologist by calling 856-374-6042.

People in other New Jersey counties are advised to report any spotted lanternfly sightings to the state Department of Agriculture’s special hotline number — 833-BADBUG-0 (833-223-2840) — or send an email to SLF-plantindustry@ag.nj.gov.

The spotted lanternfly is expanding its turf in New Jersey, posing a potential threat to a variety of crops and fruit trees.Amy Lutz | Shutterstock

Recent sightings

Keashen said spotted lanternflies have been seen during the past week on three occasions in the Camden County towns of Cherry Hill and Haddon Heights.

Camden County is now the seventh county in New Jersey to confirm sightings of these distinctive-looking bugs. During the past few months, the insect was seen in parts of Burlington, Salem and Somerset counties.

Joseph Borkowski, a Bound Brook resident, told NJ Advance Media that he recently saw a spotted lantenrfly on the screen of his kitchen window and he has noticed some damaged trees in his neighborhood in Somerset County. Although he isn’t certain those trees were damaged by spotted lanternflies, he suspects they are the culprits.

State officials say spotted lanternflies have now been seen in Burlington, Camden, Hunterdon, Mercer, Salem, Somerset and Warren counties, but so far there have been no widespread outbreaks and no significant damage to any crops in the Garden State.

During recent months, these insects have been swarming in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania.

An adult spotted lanternfly clings to a grape vine in a Pennsylvania vineyard.Erica Smyers photo/Penn State Extension

One of the New Jersey sightings last year sparked fears that spotted lanternflies would cling to pine trees used as Christmas trees and then multiply inside houses during the winter. But there were no confirmed reports of that happening.

Regardless, experts say the insect is spreading rapidly through eastern Pennsylvania and slowly working their way into New Jersey, where they could pose a threat to a wide variety of crops and fruit trees.

“We need your help,” Camden County Freeholder Carmen Rodriguez said in a Facebook post on Wednesday. “The public’s assistance in identifying the early locations of this insect will be critical to stopping its spread.”

Aside from killing individual lanternflies, residents are also advised to remove and destroy any egg masses of the spotted lanternfly. Those look like small grayish blobs of putty and are usually attached to trees.

There is one good thing about spotted lanternflies: They don’t bite people or animals.

County health officials are asking for the public’s help identifying a new pest recently spotted in the area. A Spotted... Posted by Camden County Government on Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @LensReality or like him on Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook.