Jun 14, 2018 4 min read

By Alisa Hatchett

It’s that time of year when we look forward to the sunny, warmer weather of spring and are ready to put every (snow)flake behind us. We yearn to get outdoors, smell the fresh air and we are looking forward to turning our brown, dead looking flower beds and gardens into lush, enviable palettes of colorful thriving plants.

This is where our dreams of paradise come to a screeching halt as we find ourselves at war with invasive species everywhere. Honeysuckle, purple loosestrife, giant hogweed, garlic mustard, Dutch elm disease, kudzu, thistle, and gypsy moths all top the list of invasive threats to our native landscapes, however, unfortunately, we now have one more to add to the list: the Spotted Lanternfly.

The Spotted Lanternfly is a pretty bug, if a bug can be considered pretty, but it is deadly to numerous types of ornamental trees, mostly the Tree of Heaven. The Tree of Heaven not native to Pennsylvania, but to northeast central China, parts of Asia and Taiwan. The Tree of Heaven was introduced to Philadelphia in 1784 and by the 1840s it was widely used in local landscapes. The Spotted Lanternfly hails from China as well and just seems to be following its food source. Or should I say one of its food sources?

This is not a picky eater folks! They enjoy any smooth barked tree, feeding on the woody parts digging into the phloem. The phloem carries the photosynthesized plant food to the stems and leaves. By disrupting the flow of nourishment, the tree dies. They will dine on grape vines, peach and apple trees. They enjoy maple, black walnut, birch, sycamore, willow and staghorn sumac. At last count, there were a little more than 70 varieties that appealed to their gourmet tastes. By relieving the tree limbs of nourishment, the adults in turn produce lots of honeydew, that attracts fungi, which then creates a sooty mold formation. Also, the wounds they have created will bleed sap down the tree, further drawing wasps, ants and other bugs to dine on the tree. Oh my, deep sigh, this problem just continues to get worse.

On average, the Spotted Lanternfly has a year lifespan. The adults are about an inch long and a half an inch wide. The forewing is gray with black spots, followed by reticulated black blocks outlined in gray. The back wings are red and black with a white band.

The females lay two egg masses that can contain between 30 to 50 eggs in each mass between September and October. They cover them with a muddy secretion meant to winterize the egg mass until they are ready to hatch in late April and May. These egg masses can appear in columns approximately an inch in length and will appear to be gray, dry and cracked. The females often lay their eggs in what may appear to be a bug type nursery, which makes them easier to spot when there is a grouping. But quite honestly, they will lay their eggs anywhere.

The eggs can be found on the underside of logs, lawn furniture, rocks, trees, gutters, trash cans, vehicles, campers; you name it. The problem with this is, that they can be easily transported sight unseen to anywhere.

When the eggs hatch, in late April early May, they have been compared in appearance to being “tick like” and resemble black nymphs with white spots. They go through four instars as they develop into adults by mid July. They are tree hoppers and as attractive as their wings are, they are weak flyers. The mated females can hijack a ride with any unsuspecting motorist.

Early detection is the key to protecting our trees. If you suspect a bug may be a Spotted Lanternfly, collect the specimen whether it’s a live adult, a nymph or egg mass and record where you found it. You can put the specimens in jars with alcohol or hand sanitizer. Or place them in a baggy or paper bag and burn them.

To report these findings in Pennsylvania, email the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture at badbug@pa.gov, or contact your local Extension Office. For more information, visit www. agriculture.pa.gov/spottedlanternfly.