The spotted lanternfly has arrived in Illinois.

The sighting of the invasive insect, an inch-long critter with distinctive black spots and bright red and yellow coloring, was confirmed Tuesday by the Illinois Department of Agriculture.

“Spotted lanternfly has been inching closer to the Midwest and Illinois for close to a decade,” said Jerry Costello II, the Agriculture Department’s director, in a statement about the insect.

“We have had a multi-agency team working to prepare for this scenario — including efforts on readiness, informing and educating the industry and the public, as well as monitoring early detection.”

A sighting of the bug was reported on Sept. 16

in an undisclosed part of the state. Officials visited the area and found a “moderately populated area of spotted lanternfly” on Sept. 18, the Ag Department said.

Anyone who spots the bug should first photograph it for the department, then kill it.

The spotted lanternfly, native to eastern Asia, was first found in the U.S. in southeastern Pennsylvania in 2014. Since then, the bug has spread throughout the East Coast and recently moved into the Midwest with confirmed sightings in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.

“If there is a silver lining associated with spotted lanternfly in Illinois, it is that we have no reason to believe that widespread plant or tree death will result from its presence,” said Scott Schirmer, a field office manager with the state Department of Agriculture, in the statement.

The invasive insect does not pose a threat to humans or animals. But it does target plants by sucking the sap out of vine and tree fruits, especially grapes and maple trees. The lanternfly can only travel short distances on its own, so it often travels by hitchhiking on humans and cars.

“This is likely going to be a nuisance pest that interferes with our ability to enjoy outdoor spaces and may have some impact on the agritourism industry, including orchards, pumpkin patches and vineyards,” Schirmer said.