At first glance, the spotted lanternfly looks like an elegant butterfly, speckled with black spots on white wings with a splash of bright red.
But the insect native to parts of Asia (Lycorma delicatula) is attacking plants and trees in the United States, and officials are moving quickly to try to contain its spread.
"The only good spotted lanternfly is a dead one," said Amy Korman, an entomologist at Penn State Extension, a part of the university that provides training and education in everything from farming to food safety to landscaping.
The insect was first detected in the US in 2014, in Berks County, Pennsylvania. An egg mass was found in a shipment of stone from China, according to experts who have tracked its progress.
The SLF — as experts call it — poses no threat to humans or animals, but it has caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage in the US agricultural sector, even though it has only been found in 14 states.
In 2020, a Penn State study indicated that in Pennsylvania alone, the insect was responsible for $554 million in annual losses, and the disappearance of nearly 5,000 jobs a year.
Despite huge efforts including quarantines, state officials could not contain the insect population.
"The spotted lanternfly is a very good hitchhiker," explained Korman. Despite its spectacular wings, the bug is not known to fly long distances.
"These insects are very sneaky. They spread thanks to us. We are taking them across the country, especially their eggs," the expert added.
Once the lanternfly reaches adulthood, it feeds on dozens of crops, ornamental and fruit trees, timber and plants. Once a number of insects feed from the same plant, it dies.
Spotted lanternflies have a particular affinity for grape vines. Scientists have observed dozens, even hundreds of them on a single vine.
Just ask Michael Fiore, who owns a winery and distillery in Maryland that was infested with SLFs last year.
"We have lost 1,000 vines," Fiore told AFP.
"The energy has been sucked out — it's like a vampire," he explained, predicting he will lose half of his harvest this year, and rebuilding will take time.
"2022 was bad, 2023 is just as bad," he lamented.