What is it?
Spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) is an invasive species of planthopper. They are originally from the Southeast parts of Asia, primarily China and Vietnam. Likely a hitchhiker on imported goods, it was first found in 2014. It eventually reached Ohio by 2020 and was first reported in Lorain County in 2022. The Spotted Lanternfly’s primary host plant, Tree of Heaven, is another invasive species from a similar region of Asia. While tree of heaven may be a favorite, they feed on various other woody plants including grapes, hops, fruit trees, and other hardwood trees, vines, and shrubs. They feed on these plants using a piercing, sucking mouthpart called a proboscis to feed on plant sap. This feeding has the potential to cause plant stress that can impact the overall health of a plant over time. Grapes are considered to be one of the more vulnerable crops to Spotted Lanternfly feeding.
What do they do?
As mentioned above, they use their piercing, sucking mouthpart to suck sap from plants. The removal of sap can lead to stress and potentially damage to plants. On top of the damage these insects can cause to plants, they also produce a substance called honeydew. This honeydew is the concentrated sugar that is expelled as waste from the insects. This honeydew can cause a sticky mess on outdoor furniture and spaces. Over time, that honeydew can grow a mold called sooty mold that leaves a black sooty appearance anywhere the honeydew drops. Honeydew can also attract other insects like bees and wasps that would feed on the sugars.
How do you control them?
While there were early efforts to try and eradicate this invasive pest, the focus has shifted from eradication to slow the spread. Slowing the spread comes down to educating people on how to identify this insect and on methods of managing spotted lanternfly in their landscapes. The Ohio Department of Agriculture outlines an integrated pest management approach to dealing with spotted lanternfly in their homeowner management guide. While they do have a wide host range, removing some of the more preferred host plants from your property may make your landscape less desirable. So, the removal of tree of heaven or wild grapevines could help. From there, management depends on the lifestage of the insect. While there are eggs (October-April), masses can simply be squished or scraped off surfaces with a knife or the edge of an old gift card into a bucket of soapy water. Additionally, eggs can be treated with horticultural oils during the winter months before buds break in the spring. The nymphs and adults (April-November) can be physically managed by swatting or squishing them. This can be effective for those we can reach, but sometimes with large trees, SLF will be high in the canopy. This is where the use of insecticides may be more practical. The ODA guide linked above lists several products including insecticidal soaps and horticultural oils, as well contact and systemic insecticide options.
Who is responsible for control?
While the ODA had initially gone out to treat early infestation sites, populations have grown enough that they are no longer making insecticide applications for spotted lanternfly infestation reports. Control efforts are now going to fall on individual landowners. The guide from ODA that is linked above provides good information for folks that would like to deal with SLF on their own, but if that is not practical or feasible for you, you may need to seek the services of a pest control professional or an arborist.
Do you need to report sightings?
At this point, Lorain County is considered a quarantined county. Details about what other Ohio counties are quarantined and what that means can be found in this ODA article. ODA has noted that SLF found near known infestations no longer need to be reported. At this point, only counties that have not had confirmed SLF infestations need to report. However, if you have questions about SLF or would like more information, always feel free to reach out to the OSU Extension office. We are happy to answer any questions.
Other Info
What does tree of heaven look like? Here are some images to help you identify tree of heaven:
Tree of heaven seed cluster. These turn more red in color as we get into late summer.
Tree of heaven leaves. Notice the smooth margins (leaf edge) and the 2 “thumbs” at the base of each leaflet.
Here are some images of the different life stages of spotted lanternfly:
1st instar nymphs. The 1st through 3rd instar nymphs are black with white spots. They start out very small, and are about the size of a lady beetle by the 3rd instar. These are active from April till about mid-July.
Egg masses. Female SLF lay eggs in rows and cover the masses with a waxy substance. Egg masses can be found on a variety of surfaces, but very commonly at the bases of trees or on the undersides of branches.
SLF Adult. When in flight, you can see their red, hind set of wings. Adults are active from August till we get a killing frost. Generally in October or November.
4th instar nymph. Once the nymphs reach the 4th instar, they are red in color with black and white spots. These are active from July to August.