Spotted Lanternflies

Dr. Julie Urban has been a member of USDA’s Technical Working Group advising USDA and state governments on issues surrounding the invasive Spotted Lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula, since this insect was first detected in the US on Sept. 22, 2014. She will discuss the timeline of this insect’s invasion and how its range and impacts have expanded from 2014 to the present. Dr. Urban will also give an overview of spotted lanternfly biology and progress on research currently underway to better understand and manage this pest.

Dr. Julie Urban is a Research Associate Professor in the Entomology Department at Pennsylvania State University. She earned her Ph.D. in Evolutionary Biology from the University at Albany. She studies planthopper evolution and their co-evolution with multiple bacterial and fungal symbionts. Her recent work involves aspects of basic and applied research on the invasive planthopper, the Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula). She has been a member of USDA’s Technical Working Group of scientists, advising management and research on the Spotted Lanternfly, since it was first detected in the US in September, 2014. Dr. Urban is the lead PI on a regional USDA NIFA Specialty Crops Research Initiative grant studying the biology, management, reducing the impact of Spotted Lanternfly in specialty crops in the eastern USA.

This will be a Zoom meeting. The meeting can be accessed using the link or meeting info below:

Link to Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 837 6681 0295
Passcode: 230730