Invasive Insect Species:
Week of February 19th: Governor Mills Proclaims Invasive Species Awareness Week (2/24/2023)

- Asian Longhorned Beetle (no confirmed sightings in Maine as yet)
- Brown Marmorated Stink Bug — Halyomorpha halys (Stal) (Northeastern IPM Center)
- Has been detected in Maine but it does not appear to be established as yet (view distribution map)
- Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Photos
- Report a Sighting in Maine and see also this January 2018 Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Update by CAPS
- Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Videos
- Browntail Moth
- Emerald Ash Borer (found in Maine on 5/22/18 in Madawaska and as of November 2020 it has been confirmed in several other Maine towns as well including Van Buren, Frenchville, Gorham, Ogunquit, Parsonsfield, Shapleigh, Grand Isle, Acton, Lebanon, Portland, Newfield, Berwick and South Berwick.)
- European Crane Fly (Tipula paludosa) (pest of lawns and turf) (Cornell)
- European Red Ant (Myrmica rubra) – The European Red Ant is also called the European Fire Ant; It is an invasive insect in Maine, increasing in both its geographical range (particularly in coastal communities) and in its encounters with homeowners. However, these ants are only distantly related to the ‘true’ fire ants found in the southern U.S. and Latin America.
- Hemlock Woolly Adelgid
- Leek Moth (Cornell) — Leek moths were captured in a pheremone trap in Jackman, Maine on 5/19/2020, the earliest capture to date in Maine. Leek moth as of 2019 had also spread to the Rangeley, Maine area and it is expected to continue its spread in Maine. The larvae of this moth are destructive to all members of the Allium plant family, but especially to leeks.
- Southern Pine Beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis) — Detected in Waterboro, Maine in October, 2021 (Maine Forest Service) | Some Photos of the Southern Pine Beetle (BugGuide.net)
- Spotted Lanternfly (SLF for short) (9/29/2020: Some SLF egg masses have now been found in Maine!). This pest is not a fly or a moth, but rather a type of Homopteran commonly called a planthopper. It is native to China, India, Taiwan and Vietnam. Its first infestation in the U.S. was in Pennsylvania. As of October, 2019 it was present in 14 counties in southeastern PA, nine counties in NJ, one county in DE, and one county in northern VA. Specimens have been found in MD, NY, MA, and CT but most are believed to have been inadvertent hitchhikers, with no confirmed populations established as yet in the other states. If you find this insect or its egg masses, please report the sighting to an appropriate state authority. neipmc.org/go/slfqri has reporting instructions for various states in the region. Those in Maine wishing to report a sighting are asked to contact the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.
- Spotted Lanternfly Fact Sheet (UMass)
- Spotted Lanternfly: What to Look For (Penn State Extension)
- Tree of heaven (invasive plant and favorite host of Spotted Lanternfly but it also has over 70 other host plants, including apples, stone fruits, hops and especially grapes) (NH Department of Agriculture)
- Spotted Wing Drosophila (invasive) (a unique fruit fly native to Asia which has spread from west to east across North America all the way to Maine) (see Fruit Flies)
- Swede midge (Cornell) — [serious pest of cruciferous plants] Present in Maine: Found in Farmington starting in 2019 and the first detection of it there in 2020 was in early June; There are no effective sprays for home gardeners. Cultural practices and row covers, where Swede midge has not been established, offer some protection against crop damage.
- Winter Moth (Maine Forest Service) [see also Control of Winter Moth Damage in New England Blueberries (PDF) — UMass] [2012 Bangor Daily winter moth story] and the Maine Forest Service Press Release (Nov-Dec 2015) “When moths fly with snow, let the Maine Forest Service know!”
Additional Information:
- Invasive Species (Maine.gov)
- Jumping Worms
- Jumping/Snake (Amynthas) Worms in Maine (Maine Dept of ACF)
- If you believe you’ve found a Jumping Worm in Maine: Jumping Worm(s) Report Form (Maine Dept of ACF)
- Maine Department of ACF’s Invasive Plant Rules (in effect as of 1/25/2017)
- Invasive Plants: UMaine Extension Fact Sheet Series
- Maine Forest Service: Invasive Threats to Maine’s Forests and Trees
- USDA – APHIS: Leave Hungry Pests Behind