Assistant Professor of Biological Science Josephine Antwi
Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences Josephine Antwi was interviewed by The Washington Post’s Capital Weather Gang about the invasive Spotted Lanternfly, which has been spotted across the East Coast and has the potential to wreak havoc upon trees, plants and agricultural crops like apples, grapes, stone fruits and hop plants.
Despite having wings, the adults don’t fly far. The bugs are often spread by vehicles. Residents in quarantined counties are urged to inspect vehicles and goods for transport to ensure that the insects and their egg masses are not hitching a ride.
“If females lay eggs on a substrate that eventually moves (e.g., automobiles or goods), then they quickly spread that way,” Josephine Antwi, a professor of biology at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, wrote in an email. Read more.