Spotted my first spotted lanternfly—but not in Wellesley
Wellesley issued warnings about the invasive spotted lanternfly back in 2023, with the tree-sucking insect being found near Carisbrooke Reservation.
Being something of an amateur entomologist—see our Bob’s Bugs page—I’ll admit to being a bit disappointed never to have spotted one of these insects myself.
Until this past weekend when we were visiting friends on the Jersey Shore. The critter flew onto our friends’ back deck, overlooking a bay with barely a tree in sight, and I immediately went for my phone to snap a photo or two or three or… It’s actually quite a looker, with piercing red eyes and a red underwing, plus the spotted wings that give it part of its name.
But be assured, I took only pictures, and not the insect itself back with me to Wellesley.
