CAPITAL REGION PRISM

Current Species Highlight

Spotted Lanternfly (SLF)
Spotted lanternfly is an invasive plant-hopping insect native to China and Southeast Asia. SLF has the potential to damage multiple agricultural crops in New York. SLF is a pest of apples, grapes, hops, maple, walnut, and others. New York is estimated to produce more than 30 million bushels of apples each year, while grapes in New York are valued at an annual harvest of $52.8 million. First discovered in Pennsylvania in 2014, quarantine efforts have managed to greatly slow it's spread into Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia.

Nymphs and adults prefer to feed on the invasive Tree-of-Heaven, but also feed on a wide variety of other plants, including some of great agricultural value. Presence of SLF has led to crop loss, exporting issues, and increased management costs.

If you live outside New York City, you can help the Department by reporting SLF immediately after it is found. Follow these steps:

Take a photo
Collect a sample and place it in a freezer or in a jar with rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer
Contact the SLF responders

After you have reported SLF in your area and collected a sample, you should kill any additional SLF you see by stepping on it or crushing it.

For quarantine information, agricultural impacts and more from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, click here.

For a compiled list of informational resources from the Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences NYS Integrated Pest Management Program, with information about identification, why you should worry, management, and more, click here (leaves website).

Previous Species Highlight

Spongy Moth (Formerly known as gypsy moth)
The spongy moth is a defoliating insect native to France and originally introduced in the US in 1869. Generally preferring to feed on the leaves of oak trees, they also feed on apples, maples, hickories, birches, pines and much more.

Caterpillars eat young, tender leaves in the spring, and in outbreak years can lead to mass defoliation. Typically however, the leaves will regrow (albeit somewhat smaller) by midsummer allowing the tree to continue photosynthesizing as normal.

For a fact sheet from the Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences NYS Integrated Pest Management Program, with information about identification, control, when you should worry and more, click here (leaves website).

For the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation fact sheet with information on phenology, control options, helping trees recover from outbreak and more, visit the DEC fact page here (leaves website).

For the leaflet from the USDA Forest Service with detailed information on life history, natural enemies, control and bio-controls and more, click here.

What are Invasive Species?

Invasive species are any non-native species (plant, animal, microbe, etc.) that have the ability to cause harm to the environment, economy, and/or human health.

Pathways of Introduction and Spread

International Shipping
Vehicles-Cars, Boats, Trains, etc.
Clothing and Shoes
Pet and Wild Animal Transfer
Waterways and Storm Events

Role of the PRISM

The Capital Region Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM), is hosted by the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Saratoga County. The PRISM is financially supported through the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation via the Environmental Protection Fund.

We are a not for profit quasi-government agency that is built on partnerships made up of representatives from state and local agencies, not for profit organizations, and citizen scientists. The Capital Region PRISM provides services in eleven counties in the New York State Capital Region: Albany, Columbia, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Schenectady, and parts of Fulton, Herkimer, Saratoga, Warren, and Washington.

Our functions include, but are not limited to:
Coordination of partner efforts
Recruiting and training citizen volunteers
Delivering education and outreach programming
Establishing early detection and monitoring networks
Implement eradication and control efforts
Provide funding for invasive species work

If you are interested in partnering with our organization, please contact us.

Report an invasive Species

iMapInvasives is an online mapping tool that provides statewide invasive species distribution information to natural resource managers, scientists, and citizens. Learn about the program and start contributing data by attending an iMap training session. To schedule a training for staff, volunteers, or the public, please contact PRISM staff.

Upcoming Events

Events Calendar

Contact a Coordinator

PRISM Coordinator: Kristopher Williams
Email: kbw44@cornell.edu
Office Phone: 518.885.8995 ext. 2218
Work Cell: 518.321.0189

Terrestrial Coordinator: Sam Schultz
Email: ss986@cornell.edu
Phone: 518.885.8995

Outreach Coordinator: Addison Kubik
Email: ask263@cornell.edu
Phone: 518.885.8995 ext. 2219

Aquatics Coordinator: Hannah Coppola
Email: hwe22@cornell.edu
Phone: 518.885.8995 ext. 2215

To Join our ListServ, send an email to:
cce-capitalprism-l-request@cornell.edu

Type "join" in the subject line with no quotes and do not leave a message or signature in the message box.

Join our Network!

Volunteer or Partner with the PRISM!
We welcome the participation of regional organizations, agencies, and individuals that have a common goal of stopping the spread of invasive species. To volunteer please contact a prism coordinator and will will add you to our list.

The PRISM listserv is a great way to stay connected and up to date on all things invasive species. To join the listserv, please email cce-capitalprism-l-request@cornell.edu with 'join' as the subject line (no quotes) and nothing in the body of the email, including signatures. You will receive a confirmation email when your request is processed successfully.

Photo Gallery

Become an Environmental Steward.
Check out these national campaigns to learn more about how
you can stop the spread of invasive species!

To learn more about the invasive species of New York, click on the guides below.

Cornell Cooperative Extension Saratoga County
50 West High St.
Ballston Spa, NY 12020

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation provides financial support to the Capital Region PRISM via the Environmental Protection Fund.