Pretty and damaging spotted lanternfly reported but not established in Erie County
Recent reports of bad bugs ― one dead and one alive ― had Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture officials checking whether the invasive spotted lanternfly managed to establish a population in Erie County.
"There is no infestation," Shannon Powers, press secretary with the state Department of Agriculture, told the Erie Times-News.
She said the two spotted lanternflies reported in Erie County in recent weeks are believed to be individual isolated hitchhikers. However, the bugs have already established themselves in 51 of Pennsylvania's 67 counties and are creeping closer to Erie County, home to the grapevines that spotted lanternflies like to feed on and can even destroy. Powers said it's important for people to do whatever they can to stop the spread of the spotted lanternfly, including reporting sightings and killing the bugs.
"Most of the movement (of spotted lanternflies) from place to place, that's actually with help from people," she said.
Someone is in a place where the bugs are established and a spotted lanternfly, which can't fly very far, clings to that person's vehicle or backpack or something else and ends up traveling a long distance, Powers said.
Sightings in Erie County
Presque Isle State Park and Department of Agriculture officials believe hitchhiking is how a spotted lanternfly reached the Erie County peninsula in August.
"We did have a confirmed dead adult lanternfly found on Aug. 20 by our maintenance staff at the Presque Isle State Park marina near the boat lift well," Holly Best, an assistant park manager, said via email.
She said no other signs of spotted lanternflies were seen at the park.
Powers said a live adult spotted lanternfly was reported near a popular private campground. She didn't know when and couldn't say where exactly the sighting was made but did say that like Presque Isle, it was a location with heavy visitor traffic.
From 2022: What to know about the spotted lanternfly and how to slow its arrival to Erie County
After such a report, especially in areas that aren't already quarantined for spotted lanternfly, Department of Agriculture officials go to a site to try to determine the extent of that bug population and if any treatment is required. Powers said it was determined that there was no established spotted lanternfly population in Erie County.
The quarantine strictly prohibits the movement of any spotted lanternfly egg masses, nymphs and adults, and regulates the movement of articles that may harbor the insect, such as landscaping waste, firewood, grapevines and more. Businesses that move certain articles from quarantined counties are required to obtain a spotted lanternfly permit.
Six counties — Butler, Clearfield, Clinton, Fayette, Lawrence and Somerset — were added to the quarantine earlier this year. Erie, Crawford, Warren, Venango and Forest counties remain off the quarantine list for now.
"There are established populations as close (to Erie County) as Mercer County," Powers said.
The bug also has a presence in more than a dozen other states, including New York, Ohio and West Virginia.
An invasive planthopper native to Asia, the spotted lanternfly was discovered in Pennsylvania in 2014 in Berks County. The insect is believed to have arrived in the United States with a shipment of stone.
Penn State Extension information indicates that spotted lanternflies can travel from place to place on recreational vehicles, tents, bicycles, sports equipment, tools, grills, plants, yard decorations and much more.
Economic impact
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. A spotted lanternfly excretes honeydew, a sugary waste that builds up and can lead to the growth of sooty mold and black-colored fungi, according to the department.
"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.
In September 2022, 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.
"We certainly don't want them because we're concerned what they can do in the grape industry," said John Mason Sr., owner and CEO of Mason Farms, which has about 125 acres of vineyards in western Erie County.
He said everything possible is being done to keep the bugs from getting here. Once that does happen, there are now insecticides that can be used to kill the pests. Mason said that while there are chemicals that are cleared for use to manage the spotted lanternfly, their application can be affected by how close it is to harvest time.
If the spotted lanternfly becomes established in Erie County, he said, grape farmers will have to begin spraying the bugs.
Nick Mobilia, owner of Mobilia Fruit Farms including 120 acres of grapes in North East, said one positive is that spotted lanternflies die easily when the insecticide is used. But he said farmers have to weigh the economics of the cost of spraying versus the worth of the crop.
He said grape growers have been talking about these bugs for several years. Initially, those in agriculture hoped the spotted lanternfly egg masses wouldn't survive the region's hard winters. But they don't appear to freeze, Mobilia said.
Photos: See the grape-growing industry in northwestern Pennsylvania
While Mason said farmers can't really do anything about the spotted lanternfly before it gets established in Erie County, Mobilia is hopeful they'll at least be able to manage the bug once it arrives.
"When it gets here, it's going to become part of our daily life," Mobilia said.
Powers said there is a total of $3 million in the 2023-24 state budget for agriculture emergencies and that includes controlling the spotted lanternfly.
Identifying the bug
Powers said the first step in controlling the spotted lanternfly is recognizing the bug.
"They're actually pretty but they're pretty damaging," Mason said.
The adults, which are out from July to November or December, have wings that, when closed, 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. The adult bugs are about an inch long and can fly but often jump or glide, according to the Penn State Extension.
Spotted lanternfly egg masses are found from September to May and can be on trees, stones, outdoor furniture and even vehicles. About an inch long, the eggs are covered in a white putty-like substance and then a gray/brown mud-like covering.
Nymphs can 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.
Be vigilant
Powers said the second step in controlling the spotted lanternfly is getting in the habit of checking your vehicle, your backpack, anything else with you when traveling from an area where the bug is established.
"If you're from a county that has spotted lanternfly and you're enjoying Presque Isle, please don't bring the spotted lanternfly with you," she said.
Powers said spotted lanternflies like to congregate on Tree-of-Heaven, an invasive plant that spreads wildly. She encouraged people to try to remove these ornamental trees from their properties to limit hosts for the bugs.
What to do if you find the bug
State officials say that if you see a spotted lanternfly in Erie County or anywhere, you should kill it and report it. Egg masses should be smashed.
A spotted lanternfly can be reported online at https://services.agriculture.pa.gov/SLFReport or by calling 1-888-4BADFLY (422-3359).
Dana Massing can be reached at dmassing@timesnews.com.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Spotted lanternfly found in Erie County, at Presque Isle
