SPOTTED LANTERNFLY (SLF): An Impending Nuisance

June 22, 2023

Paul Adams, Regulatory Entomologist. North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services

Learning outcomes for this presentation include: Understanding the life cycle of Spotted Lanternfly (SLF); Why Spotted Lanternfly is a Pest/Threat to pay attention to; How to identify Spotted Lanternfly; How to identify two invasive plants that SLF may utilize in an area; Understanding how Spotted Lanternfly has spread, Understanding what NCDA’s role is; Understanding what NCDA is doing to combat SLF.

About our Speaker:

My name is Paul Adams and I work for the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. As the Regulatory Entomologist I am responsible for managing multiple programs that combat, regulate, and educate the public and our ag. industries about invasive pests that might impact their quality of life or their ability to do business especially as it pertains to the movement of ag. commodities as a part of interstate commerce. I come to this position having held a number of other positions and managed several other programs in the Department of Agriculture including the imported fire ant program and the industrial hemp program. I am passionate about helping North Carolina citizens and ag. businesses and do so by preventing pests from reaching North Carolina when possible or by helping our stakeholders manage and continue business when insect pests become established and require regulation. I am an avid outdoorsman and spend a lot of time recreating with my wife and son.

The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services: Plant Industry Division is responsible for regulating plant pests that impact our agricultural industries. We address issues on everything from log, pulpwood, and lumber production to traditional row crops, and work extensively with nurseries to facilitate interstate, and in some cases, international/global trade. We also enforce regulations on this group to prevent spreading plant pests to other states, to prevent receiving pests from other states, and to ensure that commerce can happen to the benefit of our state and others. Spotted lanternfly is among these pests and we are actively engaged in managing the known infestation and spreading the word through outreach.