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The insect prefers the tree-of-heaven, another invasive species. Since 2018, more than 200,000 trees-of-heaven have been treated on almost 19,000 acres in New Jersey, state officials said last week. Infestations are primarily along the state's border with Pennsylvania, which had the first reported sighting of the spotted lanternfly in the U.S. Since first detected in Berks County in 2014, the insect has been found in more than a third of the state's counties.

So far this year, sightings have increased dramatically in Pennsylvania. According to local reports, the state Department of Agriculture received 33,015 reports through July 17, compared to 5,603 for the same period last year: a nearly 500% increase. It is uncertain if the rise is due to an increase in the insect's population or an increase in the public's awareness, officials said. Reports may also be mistaken.

Given its proximity to infestations in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, New York is at a high risk for its own, state authorities warned. Individual spotted lanternflies have been spotted in more than a dozen counties, but no infestations have been confirmed in New York, according to the state DEC.

Delaware also has been concerned about infestations this year, as a mild winter saw a high hatch rate of spotted lanternfly nymphs, officials said in late June.

The pest has also been detected in Virginia and West Virginia. Most states are considered at risk, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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