(WANE) — The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is still keeping tabs on an invasive insect seen in Indiana and is asking Hoosiers for assistance in removing them from the environment.
The spotted lanternfly has caught the DNR’s attention on multiple occasions when there were sightings in Switzerland County in 2021 and when the insects were spotted in Huntington in summer 2022.
The DNR said the insect’s eggs usually hatch around late April, and the DNR’s Division of Entomology & Plant Pathology (DEPP) has partnered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to monitor areas in Indiana where the spotted lanternfly has been seen.
The spotted lanternfly usually lays its eggs on smooth surfaces and can be found in crevices on trees, rocks or fences, according to the DNR.
The DNR said eggs resemble “wheat kernels strung together in several rows” and that first look like first resemble the appearance of “silly putty” eventually taking on the appearance of dried mud.
According to the DNR, the spotted lanternfly prefer a tree called tree of heaven, which is also an invasive species in Indiana.
The DEPP started removing egg masses at infected sites in early February and have already destroyed more than 540,000 eggs.
Anyone who comes across a spotted lanternfly or their eggs should contact the DNR at 866-663-9684 or send an email to DEPP@dnr.IN.gov.
