spotted lanternfly
(Lycorma delicatula)
This species is Introduced in the United States
Major Hosts:
Over 70 species of plants are known hosts for spotted lanternfly. This list includes cultivated grapes, fruit trees, and hardwood tree species. Ailanthus (tree-of-heaven) is the main host for the adult stage of this insect.
Key Features:
Insect: Nymphs are flightless. Early stages are black with white spots; however, later stages are red and black with white spots. Adults are about 1 inch in length, gray in color, with prominent black spots on wings. When wings are spread, hind wings become visible and are strikingly colored black, white and red. As they feed, they excrete a sticky, sugary liquid, called honeydew. Adults lay egg masses in the fall on host plants, as well as smooth non-plant surfaces such as buildings and vehicles. Egg masses are initially covered in a grayish-brown mud-like substance, which eventually dries out by spring, exposing rows of individual eggs.
Damage: Any surface located below feeding nymphs and adults can become covered with honeydew. This honeydew will attract wasps, bees and hornets and will be colonized by the black sooty mold fungi. The feeding by adults and nymphs can also result in sap flow down the trunk and stems of host plants. This feeding can weaken host plants and can cause death of foliage and branches.
Control/Management:
Various control techniques have been used to reduce populations of spotted lanternfly. These include destruction of egg masses, utilizing sticky band traps on preferred hosts, as well as the use of chemical insecticides. Additional control methods are being researched. Quarantines have been imposed to stop the movement of spotted lanternfly.
If detected outside the current quarantine area, please report the finding either to the Ohio Department of Agriculture, Ohio Division of Forestry or use the Great Lakes Early Detection Network smartphone app.
Over 70 species of plants are known hosts for spotted lanternfly. This list includes cultivated grapes, fruit trees, and hardwood tree species. Ailanthus (tree-of-heaven) is the main host for the adult stage of this insect.
Key Features:
Insect: Nymphs are flightless. Early stages are black with white spots; however, later stages are red and black with white spots. Adults are about 1 inch in length, gray in color, with prominent black spots on wings. When wings are spread, hind wings become visible and are strikingly colored black, white and red. As they feed, they excrete a sticky, sugary liquid, called honeydew. Adults lay egg masses in the fall on host plants, as well as smooth non-plant surfaces such as buildings and vehicles. Egg masses are initially covered in a grayish-brown mud-like substance, which eventually dries out by spring, exposing rows of individual eggs.
Damage: Any surface located below feeding nymphs and adults can become covered with honeydew. This honeydew will attract wasps, bees and hornets and will be colonized by the black sooty mold fungi. The feeding by adults and nymphs can also result in sap flow down the trunk and stems of host plants. This feeding can weaken host plants and can cause death of foliage and branches.
Control/Management:
Various control techniques have been used to reduce populations of spotted lanternfly. These include destruction of egg masses, utilizing sticky band traps on preferred hosts, as well as the use of chemical insecticides. Additional control methods are being researched. Quarantines have been imposed to stop the movement of spotted lanternfly.
If detected outside the current quarantine area, please report the finding either to the Ohio Department of Agriculture, Ohio Division of Forestry or use the Great Lakes Early Detection Network smartphone app.
Selected Images
Invasive Listing Sources
- Iowa Tree Pests
- Maryland Invasive Species Council - Invasive Species of Concern in Maryland
- Michigan’s Invasive Species Watch List
- National Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey Target Species
- New Hampshire Prohibited Invasive Species
- New Jersey Invasive Species Strike Team 2017 Invasive Species List
- Ontario’s Invading Species Awareness Program Tracked Species List
- South Carolina Plant Pest List
Taxonomic Rank
| Domain: Eukarya |
| Kingdom: Animalia |
| Phylum: Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: Hexapoda |
| Class: Insecta |
| Subclass: Pterygota |
| Infraclass: Neoptera |
| Superorder: Paraneoptera |
| Order: Hemiptera |
| Suborder: Auchenorrhyncha |
| Infraorder: Fulgoromorpha |
| Superfamily: Fulgoroidea |
| Family: Fulgoridae |
| Genus: Lycorma |
| Lycorma delicatula |
References
Common Name Reference: Derived from taxonomy / Generic common name
Scientific Name Reference: Roskov Y., Abucay L., Orrell T., Nicolson D., Kunze T., Culham A., Bailly N., Kirk P., Bourgoin T., DeWalt R.E., Decock W., De Wever A., eds. (2015). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life, 2015 Annual Checklist. Digital resource at www.catalogueoflife.org/annual-checklist/2015. Species 2000: Naturalis, Leiden, the Netherlands. ISSN 2405-884X.