Riverside. Native lantern flies, the
subjects of safety testing, will be
collected from natural areas in California
and southern Arizona this summer.
"Anyone on the East Coast driving to
California should be especially vigilant
about checking their vehicle for egg
masses before they make the journey,"
Hoddle warned. "Failing to notice them
Though the wasp is now being evaluated could have serious consequences."
as a biological control on the East Coast,
populations of lantern fly there have Hoddle's testing will take roughly three
already grown large enough to cause years, and he estimates that this may be
significant concern for the grape industry, around the time when the wasps will be
Hoddle said.
needed in California. "We hope to be ready
to release these wasps immediately when
A spotted lantern fly's wingspan is about the spotted lantern fly shows up, giving us
1.5 inches, and at most they can fly a few a really strong head start on the invasion,"
hundred feet at a time if they're assisted he said.
by the wind. The lantern fly has spread so
fast in part because the females lay eggs Source: UC Riverside
on nonbiological materials, such as train
cars, motor homes, wooden pallets, and
trucks that inadvertently move them into
new territories.
The Membership Drive Is On!
This year's membership drive is now underway, and as always, the competition
will be intense.
In addition to valuable cash prizes, the winner now also receives the membership
plaque, presented at the Annual Meeting. With the highly successful 2019 Annual
Meeting now in the books, it is time to work toward 2020.
When you recruit new members, the entire WPA membership is the winner!
New members can join and pay on the website. Here is the link: www.
westernpallet.org