
The Spotted Lanternfly is a native to China, India, and Vietnam that has no made its way into the Untied States and Ohio! This invasive pest is a sap-feeding plant hopper; meaning that even though it was beautiful long wings, they don’t actually fly. They will feed on and have the capability to kill fruit plants like grapevines, ornamentals and woody trees. Do you drink beer? The Spotted Lanternfly will feed on and kill hops! Although these pests will feed on the above species, their favorite host plant is the Tree of Heaven. The Tree of Heaven is also an invasive species here in Ohio- what a coincidence!


Tree of Heaven with seeds (top) Tree of Heaven leaf (bottom)
The Spotted Lanternfly has various life stages each year. Early nymphs will start to appear in April and May and are less than 1/4 inch in size. These early nymphs are black with white spots. Once the year goes on and May and June come around the nymphs will enter their late stage. Late stage nymphs are less than 1/2 an inch and are still black with white spots but now they have red on their back and head. The adult Spotted Lanternfly will start to emerge in late June and will be active until Winter. The adult has 4 wings with a piercing sucking mouthpart. The front wings are translucent grey with black spots and a black tile pattern at the tips. The hind wings are red with patches of black and white. Adults are about 1 inch long, 1/2 wide at rest and 1 1/2 inches wide with their wings spread.


Early stage nymphs

Late stage nymphs

Adult Spotted Lanternfly from bugwood.org
Some signs of Spotted Lanternfly include honeydew, black soot and mold either on the trees, at the base of the tees or under the trees.

Black sooty mold (top) and honeydew (bottom) from bugwood.org
If you think you’ve seen Spotted Lanternfly or signs of the pest, SAY SOMETHING! You can report directly to the Ohio Department of Agriculture via ODA SLF Webpage or email them at plantpest@agri.ohio.gov or by phone at 614-728-6400
Make sure to be as detailed as possible when making your report! Include:
- Pictures (if able)
- What exactly you saw
- Where exactly you were
- The date and time the sighting occurred
- Your contact information
You can also report using the Great Lakes Early Detection Network (GLEDN) app