‘They don’t belong in our environment’: US vineyards battle spotted lanternflies as invasive insects spread

From Virginia to New York, the bugs drain vines, cut yields and leave growers resorting to one simple fix: squash them Around grape harvest time about three years ago, an employee at Zephaniah Farm Vineyard in Leesburg, Virginia, noticed bugs, about 1in long with gray and black wings and a bright red underwing, atop some trees. While the insects were pretty, they were there for the grapevines and not welcome guests at the vineyard, which sits atop a farm that the Zephaniah family has run since 1949. Continue reading...

Eric Berger · Sat, May 2, 2026, 6:00 AM
US news | The Guardian

‘They don’t belong in our environment’: US vineyards battle spotted lanternflies as invasive insects spread

From Virginia to New York, the bugs drain vines, cut yields and leave growers resorting to one simple fix: squash them

Around grape harvest time about three years ago, an employee at Zephaniah Farm Vineyard in Leesburg, Virginia, noticed bugs, about 1in long with gray and black wings and a bright red underwing, atop some trees.

While the insects were pretty, they were there for the grapevines and not welcome guests at the vineyard, which sits atop a farm that the Zephaniah family has run since 1949.

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