The Spotted Lanternfly is a pretty thing, isn’t it? In the audio clip below, Scott Schirmer, a plant and pesticide specialist with the Illinois Department of Agriculture, tells WGN’s Steve Alexander there’s nothing pretty about what the pest can do to vineyards and orchards. And not only does it chew on plants, it secretes a messy, sticky substance called honeydew, which covers anything in the vicinity with a black, mold-like coating. Schirmer says the Spotted Lanternfly first showed up in the US several years ago in Pennsylvania, made it to Indiana two years ago and Michigan last year. He says it isn’t if, but when, it arrives in Illinois. Farmers and gardeners are encouraged to keep an eye out and report the bug to their local extension agent.