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How did the destructive spotted lanternfly first hitchhike into the US?

The spotted lanternfly is thought to have first been brought to the U.S. from China on a stone shipment in 2012, according to the New York State Integrated Pest Management Program at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)

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The spotted lanternfly has spread across several states in the U.S.

It has become the most dreaded crop-destroying pest of the season.

But where did this pest initially come from? Here’s what you need to know.

RELATED: ‘Highly invasive’ spotted lanternfly finally lands in Michigan

When and how did the spotted lanternfly first come to the U.S.?

The spotted lanternfly is thought to have first been brought to the U.S. from China on a stone shipment in 2012, according to the New York State Integrated Pest Management Program at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.

When was the first spotted lanternfly infestation found?

According to PestWorld.org, the first spotted lanternfly infestation broke out in 2014 in Berks County, Pa.

Since then, spotted lanternflies have been seen in New Jersey and other states — Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Michigan and West Virginia.

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