Dreaded crop-destroying spotted lanternfly sighted in Windsor, Ont.

The moment the colourful bug landed in front of her, south Windsor resident Catherine Archer knew its species — and the threat that it posed.

That's why she immediately stepped on it.

The offending insect was a spotted lanternfly: An invasive species that can have a devastating impact on agriculture — especially grapevines and fruit trees.

"It's beautiful. It's an absolutely gorgeous bug. It has bright red inside and the wings really do look like a spotted lantern," Archer told CBC Windsor.

"But it's an extremely invasive species... I'd seen a Michigan news report about these spotted lanternflies. They said to stomp it, take a picture and report it."

The State of Michigan has been concerned about the spotted lanternfly since 2018. At this point, it's been detected throughout the southeastern areas of the state, such as Oakland County — inspiring fear among vineyard and orchard owners.

But Archer's encounter with the spotted lanternfly is one of its first sightings in southwestern Ontario. Previous incidents have been limited to Hamilton and the Niagara region.

"I think awareness is going to be key. I think if people know about it, we might stand a chance," she said. "This is one that can do a lot of damage."

Archer noticed the bug while she was attending her grandson's football game on the grounds of Holy Names Catholic High School.

About two weeks earlier, another Windsor resident — Cassandra Meanney — saw and killed a suspected specimen in Windsor's Devonshire Heights area, near the Fogolar Furlan Club.

Archer and Meanney both sent photos of the bugs they killed to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

CBC has seen Archer's correspondence with the CFIA, which confirmed her photo shows a spotted lanternfly.

"I guess in Canada, they want you to collect it," Archer said. "They feel the female that I stomped was egg-bearing, because the goop around it looked like eggs."

A Facebook post by Archer about her discovery has been shared more than 2,000 times.