According to Leesburg Tree Commission Chair Earl Hower, the lanternfly slowly spread throughout the mid-Atlantic states since it was first discovered in Pennsylvania in 2014. In the last two years, it has been found more commonly in D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia. There’s a new invasive species locator map to see where the lanternflies are in real time.
The map uses a geographic information system that creates, manages, analyzes and maps all data entered. In this case, those utilizing the system can report where the insect or Tree of Heaven have been spotted. “The goal is to collect this information, so town staff has a better idea of where the Tree of Heaven is located and how many insects are in the area,” said Renee LaFollette with Leesburg DPW.
