The HVAMC was recently approached by Jim O’Connell, a senior resource educator at Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE), New York’s public agricultural resource program. His problem? The spotted lanternfly, an invasive species native to Eastern Asia that threatens the Northeastern United States. It can infest and severely damage trees and plants, presenting a serious ecological and agricultural threat.
To prevent the insect from “hitchhiking” into New York, CCE wanted to inform and educate members of the agricultural community. It needed an effective way to help community members accurately identify spotted lanternflies in multiple developing stages. Previously, O’Connell and his team had been using posters and specimens preserved in alcohol. However, these methods had several drawbacks:
- Posters only showed one angle and one stage of the insect
- Preservation process was time-consuming and costly
- Specimens were extremely delicate and lost color over time