Skyscrapers as Ecological Traps of the Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae): Preliminary Observations
Kenneth D. Frank & Gregory W. Cowper
Abstract
Since its introduction to North America from Asia in 2014, the spotted lanternfly has emerged as a pest in rural and suburban settings. In downtown Philadelphia we found adults of the spotted lanternfly concentrated on pavement at the bases of skyscrapers and high-rises. Most of these insects were sluggish or dead. Adults of the spotted lanternfly concentrated also on the 27th story of a façade of a high-rise, and on the roof of another high-rise. Skyscrapers and high-rises in this city behaved as ecological traps. The possibility that the spotted lanternfly will evolve resistance to such traps is doubtful.
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Biology (ecology concentration) and Environmental studies Double Major
Wildlife Photographer
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