SALEM, Ore. — On Friday, July 16, the California Department of Agriculture (CDFA) put into rule a state exterior quarantine in an effort to prevent the introduction of spotted lantern fly (SLF) into California. Please note that SLF is not present in Oregon, and we are not a quarantined state for SLF.
What’s the Concern?
Spotted lantern fly (SLF), Lycorma delicatula, is an invasive insect pest that was first detected in North America in Pennsylvania and is now present in several eastern states. SLF causes rapid and deleterious damage, feeding on 103 plant species, spanning 33 plant families. Please refer to this Pest Alert created by Oregon State University Extension Service for more information and helpful resources. If SLF were to be introduced and become established, it would have significant negative impacts on agricultural, urban, and natural landscapes.
Quarantine Highlights:
- Covered articles and commodities include, but are not limited to: all plants and plant parts including firewood, if exposed to the environment; outdoor household articles, shipping and storage containers, cars, trucks, recreational vehicles, agricultural equipment.
- All articles and commodities covered by the quarantine are prohibited entry into California if from areas under a SLF quarantine, with exceptions.
- For more information on the rule, see Section 3278, Spotted Lantern Fly Exterior Quarantine.
What Can You Do?
- Familiarize yourself with what SLF looks like, at all developmental stages.
- If you receive shipments from any region with known SLF populations, inspect for SLF or contact your nursery inspector to request an inspection. Find your inspector on our Contact Us webpage.
- Buy locally! Purchasing plants from a local, licensed nursery greatly reduces the risk of brining an invasive pest into Oregon. You’ll also be helping support local industry.
If you find an insect that you suspect is SLF, please notify us immediately.
As always, the Nursery Program thanks you for helping the Oregon Department of Agriculture protect our state from invasive plants and pests.
— Oregon Department of Agriculture
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