California has established a quarantine to protect the state’s multibillion-dollar agriculture industry from the spread of spotted lanternfly.

The quarantine aims to prevent the entry of the insect to California by prohibiting its host plants from entering the state.

This not only prohibits plants such as fruit, woody or ornamental trees and vines coming from infected areas but also cars, tractors, storage containers and boats.

The invasive species, known as Lycorma delicatula is native to parts of Asia, and was first detected in the U.S in Pennsylvania in 2014. The insect has since spread to nine states, none of which is on the West Coast. No spotted lantern flies have been detected in Idaho or Washington.

The Oregon Department of Agriculture issued a pest alert last October after two dead and dry spotted lanternflies were found, one in Benton County in a shipment of planters and ceramic pots, and the other in Marion County in a shipment of new shipping boxes. Both came from Pennsylvania.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture has detected several dead spotted lanternflies in airplanes coming from infested states.

At a California Border Protection Station, spent egg masses were identified on travelers’ vehicles, according to Jay Van Rein, a public affairs official with the CDFA.

After laying eggs between September and December, the eggs hatch in late spring. For the next several weeks they go through four adolescent nymphal stages before molting into adults from July to September. They are most active in their feeding from July to December.

Adult spotted lanternflies are easy to spot. They are about 1 inch long, and their exterior is made up of large pinkish-tan wings with black freckled spots. When they flap their 2-inch wings open, the bright red inner wings and yellow markings on its abdomen are exposed.

The insects cause damage to agricultural crops and products — wood, apples, peaches, grapes, wine and beer attract the lanternfly.

In Pennsylvania, the insects cause up to $324 million in economic damage annually, according to Penn State University.

The spotted lanternfly are planthoppers and can cause stress on plants by making them more susceptible to diseases and putting surrounding plants at risk.

Although they do not bite or inject anything into the plant, when the spotted lanternfly feasts on a plant they excrete “honeydew,” a sugary substance that promotes sooty mold fungi. This sticky substance attracts other insects such as wasps and damages the infected plants.

“The feeding weakens the plants, and the sooty mold that grows on the honeydew decreases photosynthesis, which may have a greater impact on the plant than the feeding itself. Infestations therefore weaken the plants and can eventually kill them,” said Van Rein of the CDFA.

California has the largest wine grape industry in the world and in some cases, particularly intense infestations spotted lanternflies can kill grapes.

The CDFA has also taken other steps, including training for county regulatory staff, risk-based maps and models and biological control research.

“We hope to find any incipient populations and eradicate them before they can establish and harm California agriculture and environment,” he said.

If you believe you have seen a spotted lanternfly, contact CA Invasive Species Hotline at 1-800-491-1899.