What to know about the spotted lanternfly and how to slow its arrival to Erie County

Dana Massing, Erie Times-News
·5 min read

The invasive spotted lanternfly wasn't in Erie County as of late September but the grape-loving hitchhiker will be eventually. And when you see that bad bug, officials want you to kill it.

"We have no knowledge of any established population in Erie County," said Flor E. Acevedo, assistant professor of entomology and arthropod ecology at Pennsylvania State University. But that doesn't mean Erie County is safe from the invader.

"They will come here," said Acevedo, who works out of the Lake Erie Regional Grape Research and Extension Center in North East Township. "We just don't know when."

A spotted lanternfly infestation exists in more than 40 Pennsylvania counties, according to a Sept. 21 New York State Integrated Pest Management map on the Cornell University website. The closest to Erie is in Mercer County. The map also shows the bug's presence in New York, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, Indiana and Michigan.

An invasive planthopper native to Asia, the spotted lanternfly was discovered in Pennsylvania in 2014 in Berks County, which includes Reading and is west of Allentown. The insect is believed to have arrived in the United States with a shipment of stone.

Why is the spotted lanternfly bad?

"This is a dangerous insect to forests, ornamental trees, orchards and grapes," states a Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture addendum to the order of quarantine for the spotted lanternfly. The document goes on to say that the pest "has the potential to spread to uninfested areas by natural means or through the movement of infested articles."

Acevedo said the insect is an invasive species and is free of natural enemies here. It's a big insect that eats a lot and feeds on so many plant species that removing one kind of plant won't be enough to control the lanternfly.

"It loves grapes and we grow grapes," Acevedo said about Erie County.

She added that spotted lanternflies have not only hurt grapevines in southeastern Pennsylvania, but have also killed some.

Once established, the spotted lanternfly feeds on sap and has a preference for grapevines, maples, black walnut, birch and willow, which are all important to Pennsylvania's economy, according to the state Department of Agriculture.

From 2015:Invasive insect could be bad for Pennsylvania's grapes, hardwoods

"A 2019 economic impact study estimates that, uncontrolled, this insect could cost the state $324 million annually and more than 2,800 jobs," according to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture's website.

Also, a spotted lanternfly excretes honeydew, a sugary waste that attracts bees, wasps and insects. The waste builds up and can lead to the growth of sooty mold and black-colored fungi, according to the Agriculture Department.

One positive, Acevedo said, is that spotted lanternflies don't sting or similarly hurt humans.

Where is it?

Acevedo said there have been reports of spotted lanternflies in Erie County but they were dead and possibly arrived here in cargo rather than being part of an established bug population.

Like Erie, neither Crawford nor Warren counties were among the list of 45 with a spotted lanternfly infestation, according to the map on the Cornell site.

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On Sept. 23, the Penn State Extension published a brief online titled "2022 Adult Spotted Lanternfly Status in PA Vineyards." According to the brief, 42 of 55 Pennsylvania vineyards reported adult spotted lanternflies in their vineyards. None of the 42 were in Erie County, according to the brief. Its authors include Acevedo.

Sixteen counties had at least one vineyard that reported an adult spotted lanternfly but those counties were primarily in the southern and/or eastern parts of Pennsylvania, according to a map with the brief. The closest to Erie was Beaver County.

Thirty-four counties had been on the spotted lanternfly quarantine list. Another 11 have been added so far in 2022. The quarantine prohibits the transport of spotted lanternflies at any stage in their life and regulates movement of things that might harbor the insect, such as landscaping waste, logs, nursery stock and even outdoor household articles like furniture.

How does it move around?

Acevedo described the spotted lanternfly as a "wonderful hitchhiker."

She said most infestations occur because the bugs tagged along, perhaps in or under a vehicle. Penn State Extension information indicated that spotted lanternflies also can be on recreational vehicles, tents, bicycles, sports equipment, firewood, tools, grills, plants, yard decorations and much more.

The extension says to inspected these and similar items before traveling and possibly transporting lanternflies from a quarantine area.

Acevedo said spotted lanternflies jump and fly and will inevitably reach Erie County. But she said they'll take longer to arrive if people don't help them along.

"Just don't bring them here," she said.

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How to identify it

Spotted lanternfly egg masses are found from September to May and can be on trees, stones, outdoors furniture and even vehicles, according to Penn State Extension information. About an inch long, the eggs are covered in a white putty-like substance and then a gray/brown mud-like covering.

Spotted lanternflies hatch in the spring, grow from nymphs to adults through the summer and lay eggs in the fall. They lay their eggs on hard surfaces such as tree stumps or cars. The bugs protect their eggs with a mud-like coating.
Spotted lanternflies hatch in the spring, grow from nymphs to adults through the summer and lay eggs in the fall. They lay their eggs on hard surfaces such as tree stumps or cars. The bugs protect their eggs with a mud-like coating.

Nypmhs appear from April to October. Early stage nymphs are about 1/4 of an inch long and are black with white spots. Late stage nymphs are more than half an inch long and are bright red with black stripes and white spots. Both nymphs are strong jumpers.

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Adults are out from July to November. When closed, the wings appear grayish with black spots and black or gray tips that might look striped. When the wings are open, the vibrant red hind wings with black spots are visible. Adults, which are about an inch long, can fly but often jump or glide, according to Penn State Extension.

How to help stop it

If someone sees a spotted lanternfly in Erie County or elsewhere, they should kill it, Acevedo said. Destroying an egg mass is another way to help control and reduce the spotted lanternfly population, according to the Department of Agriculture.

If you see a spotted lanternfly

The department and Acevedo also said anyone who sees an egg mass or spotted lanternfly should report it at extension.psu.edu/have-you-seen-a-spotted-lanternfly or by calling 888-422-3359. Learn more at bit.ly/morespottedlanternfly.

Dana Massing can be reached at dmassing@timesnews.com. Follow her on Twitter @ETNmassing.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Spotted lanternfly: When will it be in Erie County, and what it means