Study at Penn State to Examine Potential for Birds to Eat Spotted Lanternfly
Published:22 Sep.2020 Source:Penn State
University Park, Pa. — Do birds find the spotted lanternfly to be a tasty treat or a nauseating nibble? That is one of the questions researchers at Penn State hope to answer, and they are seeking citizen scientists, especially bird watchers, to help in their quest for knowledge.
“Because the spotted lanternfly is a non-native insect, it doesn’t have natural enemies in the U.S. to keep its numbers in balance,” said Kelli Hoover, professor of entomology in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences. “Finding predators that live in our environment would be a great biological control option and useful in guiding management practices.”