10/17/2025

Spotted Lanternflies Are Threatening Your Vineyards

A native of Asia, the invasive species could reach California by 2033

If you needed another reason to crush those spotted lanternflies, here is one that may hit close to home: They are threatening your wine. The spotted insects have developed a taste for grapevines — their favorite host after the tree of heaven.

This invasive species — native to China, India and Vietnam — was first reported in the U.S. in 2014 and has become an agricultural pest in the northeast where its threatens Virginia's over $8 billion wine industry.

Nineteen states, including Ohio and Washington, D.C., are grappling with infestations, with further spread being reported in neighboring states.

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Washington Post.