Wildlife Watching Wednesday: Another Invader – The Spotted Lanternfly

By: Tom Berg

Invasive species have become all too common in recent years, and things don’t appear to be getting any better. There are invasive fish, invasive plants and far too many invasive insects. One of those foreign insects that have appeared in the USA within the past decade is the Spotted Lanternfly.

The spotted lanternfly is native to China, and was first discovered in Pennsylvania in 2014. These insects have already been found in 14 states in the Midwest and along the east coast as well. Spotted lanternfly adults and nymphs feed on a variety of trees, which makes them a serious threat for our nation’s trees, forests and orchards. One of the preferred host trees for the spotted lanternfly is the tree-of-heaven, which, not surprisingly, is also native to China.

A wide variety of trees can be hosts to the lanternfly, including walnut, maple, oak, pine, poplar and sycamore, just to name a few. Fruit trees like apple, cherry, peach, plum and apricot are also at risk, so orchard owners should be concerned. Many ornamental plants like roses and other important crop plants like grapes, blueberries and hops can also be adversely affected by these invaders.

Unfortunately, the spotted lanternfly does not have any native predators in the USA that have evolved to keep their populations in check. Of course, some of our own insect predators like birds will eat spotted lanternflies (both adults and nymphs), but they cannot eat enough of them to control the population. In addition to a wide variety of bird species, other incidental predators of these insects include spiders, snakes, and small mammals like raccoons and opossum.

Symptoms of a spotted lanternfly infestation include tree branch dieback or wilting, along with a buildup of sticky honeydew produced by the insects. The honeydew can be on the tree branches or plants or even on the ground underneath. Patches of sooty mold often grows from the deposited honeydew.

Please report sightings of the spotted lanternfly to your state’s department of agriculture or department of natural resources.  The photo of the spotted lanternfly shown here is courtesy of the Indiana DNR.

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