Invasive Species Alert! Spotted Lanternfly
- jpgiovannettone
- Jun 12
- 2 min read
If you live anywhere in the eastern United States, especially along the East Coast between North Carolina and Massachusetts, you may have seen an invasive insect that was introduced to the United States just over ten years ago: the Spotted Lanternfly. It is thought that the Spotted Lanternfly entered the U.S. (specifically Pennsylvania) in 2012 via an egg mass that was attached to a shipment of stone coming from China. This invasive species has now been seen in 18 states and just made its way into the District of Columbia metro area last fall. Spotted Lanternfly nymphs appear as early as May as small black insects with white spots over their entire bodies. As they grow, their bodies will become more red. Mature adults (see picture above) will begin to appear around July and can persist through October.
The main concern surrounding Spotted Lanternflies is the harm that they can do to various types of vegetation, which includes many types of crops and native plants. More information regarding this and natural ways that can be used to rid your own property of these insects are provided in the following video.
As was mentioned in the video, the potential harm caused by these insects comes in two way: they feed on the juices that a plant needs to grow and survive as well as excrete a sticky substance that is extremely harmful to plants. Many ideas for ridding your yard of Spotted Lanternflies were provided in the video. As they are relatively poor fliers, the idea of wrapping tape around the trunk of a tree on which they like to feed is a great idea as the only way for them to access the tree is by climbing it. The other option that uses a naturally occurring fungus called Beauveria Bassiana also seems effective, though you would need to ensure that no bees are in the area prior to spraying.
Helpful Hints
If you see a Spotted Lanternfly nymph or adult, attempt to have it removed using one of the natural techniques described in the video. Feel free to add a comment regarding the method you found to be most effective.
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