​Spotted Lanternfly Hops Ever Closer

By Jennifer Lerner, Senior Resource Educator

Here in the Hudson Valley, we have weathered waves of invasion . . .Insect invasion that is. Asian multicolored ladybugs. Brown marmorated stink bugs. The emerald ash borer, which wiped out our native ash trees. Their bare branches and trunks are standing reminders that our actions have far-reaching impacts. Enter the newest invader, which has now been detected in here in NYS in Westchester & Rockland counties and in nearby Fairfield County in Connecticut.

The Spotted Lanternfly ( Lycorma delicatula) is a colorful insect in the planthopper family that congregates in large numbers to feed on the sap of trees. As it feeds, it excretes “honeydew” a nice name for what is essentially a sticky excrement. That honeydew sometimes alerts people to the presence of the pest.

While the honeydew is a nuisance, the strain placed on the trees’ resources by the insects feeding often kills the tree. The Spotted Lanternfly’s preferred host, the Tree-of-Heaven (Ailanthus altissima), is also an unwanted invader despite its heavenly moniker. Great, you say? Maybe the Lanternfly will polish off the Tree of Heaven? Well these gregarious insects have a few more tricks up their spotted sleeves.

Why are we worried?

Like the brown marmorated stinkbug, Spotted Lanternflies are a pest of some important agricultural crops. Most notably grapes (think wine) and hops (think beer). While these pests will feed on lots of things, the fact that they feed on hops and grapes spells big trouble for NYS’s craft beverage and wine industries. Spotted lanternflies accidentally included in the harvest can give the end product a different flavor and even affect the color.

They spread quickly because they lay their eggs on just about anything: trees, rocks, outdoor furniture, boat trailers and vehicles. People then move the egg masses unknowingly to new areas. The winged, spotted lanternfly adults are laying their eggs now (September/October), so you may be able to spot the adults and the egg masses.

You can help!

These insects were named after flies, look a little like moths or butterflies, but are actually plant hoppers. This leads to a lot of confusion when people begin to identify them because they are colorful and can fly. The NYS DEC has created this Spotted Lanternfly photo ID sheet to help you tell the difference between this new pest and some insects that have similar features.

If you think you’ve spotted one, please report it here an the NYS Ag and Markets Spotted Lanternfly reporting page.

You can read more about this pest, including host plants and current range , here and the NYS IPM Spotted Lanternfly outreach page.

(image#1 - Adult Spotted Lanternflies, Rebekah D. Wallace, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org)
(image#2 - Egg Masses of Spotted Lanternfly, Emelie Swackhamer, Penn State University, Bugwood.org)