Lookout for Spotted Lanternfly

An exotic pest known as the spotted lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula (White), is native to China and was first detected in Pennsylvania in September 2014. It has not yet arrived in California, but has been spreading rapidly across the eastern US. 

Spotted lanternfly is actually not a fly, but a planthopper and is also referred to as “spot clothing wax cicada” or “Chinese blistering cicada”. This species is significant because the spotted lanternfly feeds on more than 70 host species including a wide range of fruit, ornamental and woody trees, with tree-of-heaven being one of the preferred hosts. Spotted lanternflies are invasive and can be spread long distances by people who move infested material or items containing egg masses.

If allowed to spread in the United States, this pest could seriously impact the country’s grape, walnuts, avocados, and pistachios, and logging industries. The California Department of Food and Agriculture has awarded funding for one project to develop biological control agents to help manage the spread of the spotted lanternfly.

To prevent the spread of the spotted lanternfly, carefully inspect potential sources such as woody plant debris, yard waste, plants, or other objects.  Destroy or disinfest the sources as appropriate to prevent the spread of the pest.

Detailed information on this pest can be found here: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/resources/pests-diseases/hungry-pests/the-threat/spotted-lanternfly/spotted-lanternfly

Lateral view of a resting adult spotted lanternfly. Photo Credit: Lawrence Barringer.

Dorsal view of an adult female spotted lanternfly. The colorful hindwings and the black and yellow abdomen are not visible at rest. Photo Credit: Lawrence Barringer.

Fourth instar nymph of the spotted lanternfly. Photo by Lawrence Barringer, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

Adult spotted lanternfly infestations.  Photo by Lawrence Barringer, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.