If you live in the Northeast United States, the Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) probably needs no introduction. Since their arrival around 2014, these striking planthoppers have transformed from a localized curiosity in Pennsylvania into a region-wide phenomenon, swarming vineyards, coating city sidewalks, and becoming the target of public "squish-on-sight" campaigns. But as evolutionary biologists, we... Continue Reading →
Urbanized Invaders
Does urban evolution help or hamper invasive species? Among biologist invasive species have been a well-documented problem for a long time. In the Netherlands ecologist are actively fighting the spread of Japanese knotweed, American crayfish and many more invasive species. A recent article by Borden and Flory (Borden and Flory, 2021) has suggested that the... Continue Reading →