How to identify

• There are several moth-like insects with spots out there. Experts recommend using a photo for comparison if you think you’ve found one.

• The egg masses are covered with a waxy substance, and look like a mud stain after they have dried.

• Look out for “Tree of Heaven,” an invasive, sumac-like plant with a foul odor that grows in areas that have been clear-cut.

Preventing the spread

• Report bug sightings at badbug@pa.gov. The adults can be crushed.

• Egg masses can be scraped and treated with hand sanitizer.

• Eradicate tree of heaven. It’s believed that they can’t become adults without it.

• Before transporting something like a grill or a tree stand, try to inspect for eggs.

• Don’t move firewood.

Concerns

• Damage to grapes, fruit trees and timber trees.

• Quarantine could kill farmers’ business.

• Bugs’ sugar-rich excrement, called “honeydew,” could produce “sooty mold,” and create an odor.

• Sooty mold also attracts yellowjackets and other stinging insects.