Town of Stow Announces Report of Spotted Lanternfly

STOW – Town Administrator Denise Dembkoski reports that the Town of Stow has received a confirmed report of a Spotted Lanternfly in town.

The Spotted Lanternfly was found inside a home off Harvard Road. Its origin has yet to be determined.

Spotted Lanternflies are invasive species and hurt the local ecosystem by outcompeting native species. They are known to cause significant damage to vineyards, orchards, and other agricultural commodities.

They also exhibit swarming behavior in the late summer and early fall.

Spotted Lanternflies are small black insects marked with white dots. The Town encourages residents, especially those who have grape vines or apple trees, to check the base of tree trunks for evidence of the insect. 

Those who find evidence of the Spotted Lanternfly or other invasive species are asked contact  the Massachuetts Introduced Pests Outreach Program, which is operated by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, or the Stow Conservation Department at 978-897-8615.