Public reports of lanternflies have fallen 75 percent across Pennsylvania from this time last year, reports Mary-Ann Thomas for The Pittsburgh Gazette.

Yet, experts warn that we are far from out of the woods.

The invasive species is believed to have arrived in the United States around 2012 via shipping freight from China. The first infestation was found in Berks County in 2014.

Since then, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has relied on the public to report any new sightings of the insect.

There have been 3,418 lantern fly sightings in 2024 through July compared to 14,645 in the same time period last year. The Department of Agriculture is quick to point out that these reports are not a formal population study.

Shannon Powers, the department’s press secretary, warns that these reports measure public awareness rather than the prevalence of the species. Report fatigue must also be taken into account as citizens grow accustomed to the lantern flies’ presence.

“What we cannot say is spotted lanternflies are going away or the numbers will decrease dramatically. It’s cyclical. Maybe this year they had a bad year, and next year they will rebound,” Powers said.

The Department also warns sightings will likely increase in September when the species is known to swarm. They encourage the public to continue to file reports of new sightings to help scientists monitor the species’ spread.

Read more about the spotted lantern fly and its prevalence in the state at The Pittsburgh Gazette.

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