Spotted lanternflies are invasive and can be spread long distances by people who move infested material or items containing egg masses. When the Spotted Lanternfly opens its wings, one sees a bright red underwing with black wingtips. The Spotted Lanternfly (SLF), Lycorma delicatula (White), is an invasive planthopper native to China, India, Vietnam. Although it is too early to make accurate predictions on actual economic impacts, the wine and grape, tender fruit, apple, and forestry industries are at the greatest risk. This has been shown to cause stunted growth, localized damage, reduced yields, and, in extreme cases, even death of the plant. The SLF was first found in Pennsylvania in 2014. The spotted lanternfly (SLF) (Lycorma delicatula) is a destructive invasive pest native to China, India, Vietnam, and eastern Asia that was first detected in eastern Pennsylvania in September 2014.Since then, it has also been found in New York, Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia. The spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) is a planthopper that is indigenous to parts of China, India, Vietnam, and eastern Asia.Although it has two pairs of wings, it jumps more than it flies. Damage on tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima), the main host of the adult spotted lanternfly, is of low ecological concern – Ailanthus is a non-native tree species originating from China and is frequently the focus of other control and eradication efforts. The Spotted Lanternfly damage is detramental to our way of life and our agriculture. You may also see them when they are frightened, or when they have been poisoned with an insecticide. But you can be forgiven for not being aware of the infestation, so let’s start at the beginning. Spotted Lanternflies will cause this damage to landscape trees by ‘piercing and sucking’ the sap out of the tree.

Spotted lanternflies are invasive and can be spread long distances by people who move infested material or items containing egg masses.

Its host plants include grapes, stone fruits, and Malus species, though its preferred host is Ailanthus altissima (Chinese sumac or tree of heaven). During this, the final stage of Spotted Lanternfly development, the insect has grey wings with dark black spots. As the spotted lanternfly was only recently introduced to North America, little is known about the extent of damage that it will cause. Spotted lanternfly causes damage to plants in two different ways.

Spotted lanternfly feeds on a wide range of fruit, ornamental and woody trees, with tree-of-heaven being one of the preferred hosts. South Korea is the only other country in which the spotted lanternfly is an introduced pest. While spotted lanternfly adults can fly, they often prefer to jump and glide. Spotted Lanternfly Frequently Asked Questions What is a Spotted Lanternfly/Where did they come from?--The Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) is an invasive insect new to the United States. The quick answer is – The Spotted Lanternfly is an invasive insect that damages or kills plants that are native to our area. The spotted lanternfly is about an inch long, boasting peacock-like spotted outer wings and jarringly bright, red and black inner wings. Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) What are Spotted Lanternflies? Spotted lanternfly feeds on a wide range of fruit, ornamental and woody trees, with tree-of-heaven being one of the preferred hosts. Feeding damage may both encourage secondary invaders and, though unknown at this time, encourage the spread of pathogens. The Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) is native to China and was first detected in Pennsylvania in September 2014. Not only can it damage many kinds of plants, it can secrete so much messy “honeydew” that people can’t go outside without getting honeydew on their hair and clothes, according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). The nymphs and adults feed on plants using their piercing mouthparts to suck fluids from the stems or leaves.

It was first observed in 2004, and its impact on agriculture there has become a cautionary tale. Spotted Lanternflies are native to Southeast Asia, but they have been introduced to other areas of Asia An adult spotted lanternfly with its wings open. Photo by Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. Please be on the lookout for an invasive insect called the spotted lanternfly (SLF). The adult Spotted Lanternfly is a winged, flying leaf-hopper about 1 to 1 and ¼ inch long.

It was first discovered in Pennsylvania in Berks County and has spread to other counties in the southeast portion of the Commonwealth. The Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) is native to China and was first detected in Pennsylvania in September 2014.

Because spotted lanternfly, a phloem feeder, consumes large quantities of a plant's sugary sap looking for nitrogen and amino acids, it …