The spotted lanternfly isn’t actually a fly. It hops from plant-to-plant, and experts said would be especially hard on Michigan grapes.
The bug is about an inch long with pale spotted wings and a black body, and its eggs are like a white putty.
The insect is a hitchhiker, said Rob Miller, invasive species specialist with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. It will latch on or lay eggs on vehicles that go from one state to another.
“What we're seeing with the spotted lanternfly is moving across the United States pretty quickly," he said. "If you think about it, it shows up in Pennsylvania in 2014 and now there’s populations up in New York, there’s populations out in North Carolina and as far out as actually Indiana.”
The bug is a hitchhiker insect can survive in a lot of conditions, Miller said.
"The infestation in other areas has changed over time," he said. "Some years the infestation will be really bad in areas, and then a year later or two years later it won’t be as bad. And scientists are still trying to figure out what’s driving those population dynamics."
If people think they saw a spotted lanternfly, Miller said they should try and collect a sample and call the state agriculture department. A website for the species can be found here.