Why a New Jersey Woman Got a Spotted Lanternfly Tattoo

Most New Jersey residents hunt and kill the destructive Spotted Lanternfly, but one woman chose to immortalize it instead.

Yep, there's a person who decided to have the pest tattooed onto her body.

While you might be shaking your head asking, 'Why?', her justification for the ink might change your mind.

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The woman, named Tracy Ann, gave her relatable explanation to NJ.com, saying, "There was really no inspiration for it. If anything, it represents the last 2.5 years of chaos. When I get older, and my kids and grandkids ask why, I can say, 'Well, let me explain the insanity of 2020.'"

Insanity is right! In a year that left us shaking our heads after the surface of COVID-19, the invasion of the Spotted Lanternfly in New Jersey seemed par for the course.

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The tattoo was inked by artist Joe Dillon of Ink Therapy, located in Jamesburg in Middlesex County. Tracy Ann's tattoo is an outline of the Garden State, incorporating flowers, and overlaid with a giant Spotted Lanternfly (down in South Jersey, lol, hmmm).

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What do you think of it?

What to know about the spotted lanternfly and the tree of heaven in New Jersey

This is especially important now since the Spotted Lanternfly appears to be spreading to more parts of New Jersey. The tree of heaven is a very likely place to find those egg masses come fall.