Spotted Lanternfly Series 1 Article 2 -- Be Aware of the Spotted Lanternfly

By Merry Bogert 

This insect pest may arrive in Burlington County in the coming months.  Already in northern New Jersey counties and in Pennsylvania, the Spotted Lanternfly is likely to arrive this summer. This blog series will cover topics from identifying the insect to how to control its spread, including limiting its impact on county residents.

The Spotted Lanternfly Life Cycle and Predators

The life cycle of the Spotted Lanternfly takes one year to complete. In late September or early October, and continuing throughout the Fall, mated females deposit egg masses, laid in four to seven neat rows and comprised of 30-50 eggs. Each egg mass measures from 3/4"- 1” wide and 1”- 2” long. The eggs are then covered with a coating that dries to look like a smear of grey mud; this coating also protects the eggs from the elements as they develop over the Winter.

The eggs are laid preferentially on Tree of Heaven but, in the absence of that preferred host plant, eggs will be laid on any smooth surface: smooth-barked trees, conifers, shrubs, as well as non-host surfaces such as bricks, fence posts, rocks, lawn furniture, children’s play equipment, railroad cars, nearby vehicles, or parked camping vehicles.

(Photo: savvymainline.com) 

  (Photo: Rutgers Cooperative Extension)

The eggs hatch in late April to mid- May and the first of five stages, properly called instars, begins climbing or hopping up nearby plants in the search for tender shoots on which to feed. The nymphs look nothing like the adult they will become. The first three instars are black with white spots; the fourth instar is red and black with white spots. Because the first instar is only 1/8” long, they can be very difficult to spot; the fourth instar is 1/2” long and is a bit easier to see because of its larger size and dramatic coloring.

(Photos: State of New Jersey Department of Agriculture)

They feed, grow, and then shed their outgrown outer “skin” with each molt, growing larger each time. By the middle of July, the winged adults have developed into their final form and are actively seeking Tree of Heaven or grapevines. Absent these favorites, they will gather in large hordes to feed on their secondary preferences. It can be a somewhat overwhelming sight, as the photos below of two infested trees illustrate all too clearly!

   

Photos: Lehigh Valley Morning Call newspaper (L) and PA Dept. of Agriculture (R)

The Spotted Lanternfly does not currently appear to have any natural enemies, partly because of its “warning” coloration and the presence of toxic compounds that it internalizes from the sap of its hosts, particularly Ailanthus. According to Dr. Surendra Dara, an IPM and crop advisor at the University of California, the coloration of the forewings helps camouflage the lanternfly against a tree trunk and the sudden flash of its vivid hindwings, when opened, startles predators and scares them away. Some birds have been seen vomiting after ingesting the insect.  (Ref: Lycorma delicatula (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae): A New Invasive Pest in the United States. Surendra K. Dara, Lawrence Barringer, Steven P. Arthurs. Journal of Integrated Pest Management, Volume 6, Issue 1, 1 March 2015, 20, https://doi.org/10.1093/jipm/pmv021. Although it is also toxic to humans when taken internally, the lanternfly has been used topically by practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine to treat swelling.

Current research is looking at natural controls such as predatory or parasitic insects from Asia; several species of parasitic wasps are being studied.