1. At first, they seem kind of magical.
2. It never occurred to me that they could do so much damage.
3. They are more visible at dusk.
4. They are invasive.
5. They are a nuisance and affect the quality of life of everyone they come in contact with.
6. They are biblical in scope.
7. They are stomped out while other, less beautiful ones, are allowed to flourish.
8. Someone broke up with me because I wouldn’t let them die.
9. My children are plucking off their wings.
10. There are billboards dedicated to encouraging their destruction.
11. People take a disturbing amount of pleasure in killing them.
12. I find myself co-opting dinner conversations to incessantly discuss them: where did they come from, where are they going, am I worrying about them too much?
13. If they stick around too long, they could damage the wine industry.
14. They were interesting at first, but now they seem hardly worth my time.
15. I thought they were beautiful butterflies. But they are not. They are not beautiful butterflies.
16. My parents don’t think they’re a big deal.
Spotted Lanternflies: 1-7, 9-16
Misguided Dreams: 1-16