Spotted Lanternfly
(Lycorma delicatula)
Biological Category
Terrestrial Invertebrate
NY Legal Status
Not Regulated
Species Type
Terrestrial Invertebrate
DESCRIPTION
Spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula), is an invasive insect pest from Asia that primarily feeds on trees of heaven (Alianthus altissima) but can also feed on a wide variety of plants such as grapevine, hops, maple, walnut, and fruit trees. While the full impacts of Spotted lanternfly are unknown, the insect will negatively impact the agricultural and tourism industries and may impact New York’s forests.
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While it has been named for its colorful wings and body in its adult form, SLF can be recognizable at all life stages.
Eggs & egg masses: eggs are laid in 1″ segmented rows that can contain up to 60 eggs, looking like small tic-tacs. The female covers the egg cases with a white putty-like substance that when it dries may resemble gray-ish mud or lichen, helping it camouflage on a surface. SLF will lay eggs on smooth, protected surfaces, oftentimes on the bark of the tree of heaven or other smooth-barked trees, but just as well as the undersides of picnic benches, vehicle wheel wells and tires, and stone walls. (Visible October – June)
Early Nymphs: Spotted lanternfly undergo 4 instars, with the first three instars maintaining a similar appearance. They are black with white dots, and roughly ¼” in size, causing people to often mistake them for ticks. (Visible May – July)
Late Nymphs: When Spotted lanternfly reach their 4th instar, they become slightly larger in size and will appear bright red, with black and white spots congruently arranged on their dorsal side. (Visible July – September)
Adults: 1” long, with pink-tinted wings that are covered in black dots, and red hind-wings with black spots. Males and females have yellow abdomens with black stripes, while only females have a pair of red valvifers at the far end of the abdomen. Adults may begin to die off after a hard frost. (Visible Late July – December)
Learn to identify Spotted Lanternfly egg masses, and know what time of year to find them. Instructions on how to notify the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets included.
As of November 2020, spotted lanternfly has been confirmed in Sloatsburg, Orangeburg, and Port Jervis in the lower Hudson Valley. It is chiefly found near areas of human activity such as parking lots where hitchhiking insects move from vehicles to surrounding vegetation.
Spotted lanternfly was classified as Tier 1 in the Lower Hudson as of April 2020 which indicates that it had not yet been reported in the region. However since it has now been confirmed it will likely be reclassified as Tier 2, early detection.
Nymphs, or newly hatched Spotted lanternfly, are black with white spots and turn red before transitioning into adults. The black nymphs can be seen as early as April and until July. Red nymphs can be seen from July until September.
Adults begin to appear in July and are approximately 1 inch long and ½ inch wide at rest, with eye-catching wings. Their forewings are grayish with black spots. The lower portions of their hindwings are red with black spots and the upper portions are dark with a white stripe.
In the fall, adults lay 1-inch-long egg masses on nearly anything from tree trunks and rocks to vehicles and firewood. They are smooth and brownish-gray with a shiny, waxy coating when first laid.
Spotted lanternfly pose a significant threat to New York’s agricultural industry, negatively impacts outdoor recreation, and may impact forest health.
Adults and nymphs use their sucking mouthparts to feed on the sap of more than 70 plant species. This feeding, sometimes by thousands of Spotted lanternfly, stresses plants, making them vulnerable to disease and attacks from other insects. Spotted lanternfly also excrete large amounts of sticky “honeydew”, which: promotes the growth of sooty molds that interfere with plant photosynthesis, negatively affecting the growth and fruit yield of plants; attracts swarms of insects that hinder outdoor activities; and results in people getting honeydew on their hair, clothes, and other belongings when going outside. New York’s annual yield of apples and grapes has a combined value of more than $350 million, which could be greatly impacted by Spotted lanternfly. The full extent of economic damage this insect could cause is unknown at this time
DEC is working with the Department of Agriculture and Markets (AGM) and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to address SLF. Since it is less expensive and easier to deal with a pest before it becomes widespread, the goal is to find and treat Spotted lanternfly infestations early.
A plan has been developed that describes how the agencies will detect and prevent further spread of Spotted lanternfly in New York. Extensive trapping surveys are being conducted in high-risk areas throughout the state as well as inspections of nursery stock, stone shipments, commercial transports, etc. DEC and partner organizations encourage everyone to be on the lookout for this pest.
Exterior Quarantine: To slow the spread of Spotted lanternfly, AGM issued a quarantine that restricts the movement of goods brought into New York from quarantined areas in Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. The quarantine requires regulated articles, such as packing materials, landscaping and construction equipment, and nursery stock to have certificates of inspection issued from the impacted states. Inspections are being conducted across New York by AGM and its partners to check for SLF and compliance with the regulations. For more information and for a list of regulated articles, see AGM’s website.
Protective Zones: In an effort to detect SLF early and respond in a timely manner, DEC has established a Protective Zone encompassing 20 counties located near the PA and NJ infestations. Protective Zones allow DEC and its partners to conduct activities such as surveying, monitoring, and management to find and prevent the spread of SLF. Protective Zones are established in the following counties: Bronx, Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Delaware, Dutchess, Greene, Kings, Nassau, Orange, Otsego, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, Sullivan, Tioga, Ulster and Westchester.
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