OHIO — The Spotted Lanternfly may soon become a problem for many specialty farmers throughout Ohio.

In late August, a tree care professional reported a population of Spotted Lanternfly in northeast Ohio, according to the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

"It's a great concern for a lot of our specialty crops, so think about the grape and wine industries as an example. This particular critter is really fond of grapevines. It will also get after fruit trees. Also, other berries, so blueberries, which we do produce here. (They) get after hops. We're seeing a growing hops industry with the explosion of all of the micro-breweries and craft-breweries in the state," Spectrum News 1 agriculture expert Andy Vance said.

Vance said the insect will also attack oak, poplar, pine and walnut trees.

"(It's) not something that's going to necessarily tear through our major agricultural crops, but in those specialty crop industries it's a big concern," Vance said.

The insect feeds on stems and leaves, swarming trees, causing sap to bleed, ultimately killing the tree.

The insect has been located in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

The Spotted Lanternfly could cost Pennsylvania's economy hundreds of millions of dollars, according to researchers at Penn State University.

The insect was found on the east side of Cleveland.

ODA Plant Pest inspectors confirmed the finding as well as a second location of the insect near the initial finding, according to ODA.

"The public is the first line of defense," Vance said. "If you think you see a Spotted Lanternfly, you need to report that . . . That's really the most important thing to do."

Ohioans can report a suspected infestation of the Spotted Lanternfly to the ODA Plant Pest Control Division at 614-728-6400.