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Have you seen these strange mounds popping up? If you haven't, you probably will.

That's why its so important that you know what to do and what it is.

Rutgers says this species is a very good hitchhiker. Most people don't even know that they've got them until the adult form comes out.

Positive news about the insect is that they can't harm humans or pets.

However, they are known to feed on over 70 different types of trees and plants. They cause millions of dollars worth of damage.

Rutgers says the Spotted Lantern Fly secretes a sticky material known as honeydew, which is very high in sugar. It is a substitute for mold, and when it gets on plants, it prevents them from surviving.

Can you even spot the Lantern flies in this tree?

The experts say the first thing you should do if you spot the Lantern Fly, is killing it. We have been warned.

USDA  Five-Year Strategy to Combat Spotted Lanternfly

Lantern fly baby photo USDA gov

“Over the next five years, Federal and State partners will work to limit the spotted lanternfly’s advancement as we further scientific research that will help us develop better pest management tools and options,” said USDA Marketing and Regulatory Programs Under Secretary Jenny Lester Moffitt.

The five-year strategy prioritizes the following goals:

• Effectively limit the advancement of spotted lanternfly and efficiently respond to its introduction within Federal and State authority and resource availability.
• Support continued scientific research towards practical management and risk mitigation.
• Establish a consistent national and State-level outreach message and educational campaign for the public and industries at risk for spreading spotted lanternfly.

SLF has spread to 13 additional states since it was first detected in Pennsylvania in 2014. Spotted lanternflies prefer to feed on the invasive tree of heaven, but they also feed on a wide range of crops and plants, including grapes, apples, hops, walnuts and hardwood trees. As resources available are limited, developing a strategy in coordination with the States to address this invasive pest is critical.

To reduce the spread, APHIS and states will create a framework to prevent human-assisted movement, promote public reporting and early detection, and continuously leverage the latest research and management tools available. The new strategy builds the capacity to combat SLF in areas at high risk of introduction and stresses that SLF management plans be based on the latest risk-assessment modeling data which helps predict where SLF populations may emerge. Federal and State partners will also unite their research resources and share knowledge about SLF to limit its movement and distribution. While leveraging best practices in the field, State and Federal partners will prioritize more research on climate and host-plant suitability, biocontrol agents, as well as other effective management tools.

They also turn grey/tan in the hot summer.