Spotted Lantern Fly: Invasive and Destructive

Spotted lantern fly egg mass

The spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) (SLF) is a planthopper which is native to eastern Asia. It was first detected in Pennsylvania in 2014 and has since been confirmed in Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. It was discovered in Maryland in 2018, in Cecil County.  It has spread to Allegany, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Caroline, Carroll, Frederick, Harford, Howard, Kent, Montgomery, Prince George's, Queen Anne's, Talbot, Wicomico, and Washington counties and Baltimore city.

Nymphs and adults feed on plants, using their piercing mouthparts to suck sap from trunks and stems. This has been shown to cause stunted growth, localized damage, and reduced yields. 

Additionally, as SLF feeds, it excretes a sugary substance called honeydew. Honeydew is attractive to ants, wasps, and bees. Honeydew can develop an intense, rotten odor as it ferments. It is also readily colonized by black, sooty mold which can cover leaves and inhibit photosynthesis. Sooty mold can also cover manmade structures and can be difficult to remove. 

SLF females prefer to lay their eggs masses in SEPTEMBER on a host tree, however; they have also been seen depositing eggs on a variety of flat surfaces such as buildings, trailers, fence posts and vehicles. The eggs are laid in groups of approximately 30-50 and then coated with gray wax. When the wax has dried it can look similarly to a splash of mud which can make them difficult to notice. The eggs typically hatch in the spring, usually in the first week of May.

Read more about what to do if you see a spotted lantern fly. First, take a photo!!  SLF sightings should be reported to the state of Maryland.  
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mda.maryland.gov/plants-pests/Documents/MDA-SLF-Pest-Alert-web.pdf

​extension.umd.edu/resource/spotted-lanternfly-management-residents