[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 171 (Tuesday, October 29, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H8543]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         THE SPOTTED LANTERNFLY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to draw 
attention to an invasive pest that is wreaking havoc on farms and 
forests nationwide and is giving Pennsylvania agricultural producers a 
major headache. I am talking about the spotted lanternfly. This native 
Asian insect has been found in at least 14 different counties in 
Pennsylvania and has spread to our neighbors in Maryland and New Jersey 
as well.
  The spotted lanternfly feeds on sap, leaving all the plants that it 
touches weakened. The residue that the spotted lanternflies leave 
behind promotes mold growth which destroys many plants and crops. The 
spotted lanternfly has a diverse appetite, feeding on more than 70 
different kinds of plants. From fruit trees to hardwoods and nursery 
industries, so many of the sectors of Pennsylvania's agricultural 
industry are subject to these pests.
  In Pennsylvania alone, it is estimated $18 billion in agriculture is 
at risk. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has issued a 
checklist that all residents should consult to check for spotted 
lanternfly egg masses. These things include camping equipment, 
firewood, outdoor children's toys, like playscapes and sandboxes, and 
more. By the end of the year, most adult spotted lanternflies will be 
dead. However, residents are encouraged to rid their property of any 
egg masses that they find by dowsing them in alcohol.
  Thankfully, research is being done to look into the best ways to 
combat this pest and eradicate it from the Commonwealth of 
Pennsylvania. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute 
of Food and Agriculture recently awarded the Pennsylvania State 
University a $7.3 million grant to support a team of researchers from a 
variety of disciplines. It is a good investment if we can save $18 
billion worth of agriculture damage.
  These funds will be combined with an additional $5 million in 
investments from growers and landowners--private citizens who agreed to 
work with researchers on this project. Researchers and extension 
educators from Penn State will be joined by additional experts from the 
USDA Agricultural Research Service, the USDA Animal and Plant Health 
Inspection Service, Virginia Tech, University of Delaware, the 
Universities of Rhode Island, Temple, Rutgers, Cornell, and the 
Northeastern IPM Center.
  With continued education and research into this invasive pest, we can 
get closer to finding a solution to dealing with the spotted lanternfly 
and alleviating Pennsylvania's agricultural producers of this threat.

                          ____________________