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The Spotted Lanternfly is an invasive species native to Asia. In 2014 it was found in Pennsylvania, and has since spread to multiple counties which are now quarantined. If you see a spotted lanternfly, it's imperative to immediately report it online or via phone by calling 1-888-4BADFLY. Especially if you are not inside the quarantine zone.

What else? Kill it! Squash it, smash it...just get rid of it. In the fall, these bugs will lay egg masses with 30-50 eggs each. These are called bad bugs for a reason, don't let them take over your county next. In March 2021, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) added 8 additional counties to the Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine, for a total of 34 Pennsylvania counties now in quarantine.

The Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) is a vinegar fly of East Asian origin that can cause damage to many fruit crops. This small insect has been in Hawaii since the 1980s, was detected in California in 2008, spread through the West Coast in 2009, and was detected in Florida, Utah, the Carolinas, Wisconsin and Michigan for the first time in 2010. This website will be the central location for dissemination of information about this insect. Check back for updates. This team is also helping to coordinate research projects to understand how best to protect fruit from infestation by this new pest.

See also: Plant Industry Pest Alerts for more pests/diseases

As of February 2015, brown marmorated stinkbug (BMSB) has been confirmed in 20 New Hampshire towns/cities. With the exception of a confirmation on nursery stock (shipped several months earlier from Long Island, NY), no specimens have yet been found on any crop. The vast majority of specimens have been found on or in buildings. We need your help. We want to find out where BMSB occurs in New Hampshire. Let us know if you see this species in or on your New Hampshire home. Verbal descriptions are not much use, but clear, close-up photos or specimens are helpful. We want to track this insect in NH and how it builds in numbers.

On Aug. 9, 2011, the department in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Penn State Cooperative Extension confirmed the presence of Thousand Cankers Disease in black walnut trees in Bucks County. Since this pest complex cannot be eradicated in Pennsylvania, and since black walnut is of high value to the forest products industry and to forest and urban ecologies, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture is joining with state and federal agencies and Penn State Cooperative Extension to slow the spread of TCD in the state through monitoring and quarantine. For more information or to report a possible case of Thousand Cankers Disease on walnut please contact your Pennsylvania local county cooperative extension office or contact the Invasive Species Hotline at 1-866-253-7189 or Badbug@pa.gov.

See also: Forest Health - Diseases for more resources

Although not yet detected here, thousand cankers disease (TCD) is a potentially fatal disease of black walnut, caused by the walnut twig beetle (Pityophthorus juglandis) and an associated fungus (Geosmithia morbida). TCD could easily spread to Missouri from the several eastern and western states where TCD is already present. You can help minimize the chances of spreading TCD by following these steps:

• Don't move firewood
• Don't transport walnut for woodworking (including buying walnut wood over the Internet)
• Promptly report dead or dying walnut trees

Virginia Tech researchers who helped identify the dangerous Giant Hogweed plants in Clarke County, Virginia, want residents to stay on the lookout for the plant with toxic sap that can cause severe burns — but also stressed that the weeds are believed to have been planted intentionally decades ago and haven’t spread in the years since. Anyone who suspects they have found Giant Hogweed should take photos, check online to compare the plant to giant hogweed photos, and then contact a Virginia Cooperative Extension agent.

Thousand cankers disease (TCD) is a disease complex native to the western United States and primarily affects black walnut, Juglans nigra. This disease is the result of the combined activity of a fungus, Geosmithia morbida, and the walnut twig beetle WTB), Pityophthorus juglandis. On January 12, 2015, the the Maryland Secretary of Agriculture issued a quarantine order to minimize the risk of moving infested material out of the limited action area in Cecil County, and to provide confidence in Maryland walnut products moving into neighboring states from non quarantined areas. The 2015 quarantine order has been updated to include all of Baltimore City and part of Baltimore County [PDF, 1.2 MB]. The new quarantine [PDF, 1.0 MB] was signed on May 1, 2019 by the Maryland Secretary of Agriculture.

Wavyleaf basketgrass is a new exotic grass rapidly moving into forests and meadows in Virginia and Maryland. The Piedmont Environmental Council is part of a Task Force committed to stopping this plant before it forms a thick carpet on our forest floors, crowding out native plants. If you think you spot wavyleaf basketgrass, please report your sighting.

In summer 2019, a population of Palmer amaranth was identified in pumpkin fields in East Windsor, Hartford. This is the first report of Palmer amaranth in Connecticut.
See also: All Available Fact Sheets for more resources