Pennsylvania officials gear up to fight invasive spotted lanternfly

The spotted lanternfly first arrived in Pennsylvania in 2014, and state and federal officials and Penn State educators and researchers are ramping up to fight the invasive species.

One of the most important issues has been awareness and education. The lanternfly could damage products of the state’s grape, fruit, hardwood and nursery industries, which are worth about $18 billion a year, according to Penn State.

Originally native to parts of China, India and Vietnam, the lanternfly eggs are expected to hatch in late April or early May.

Spotted lanternfly eggs typically hatch in late April or May. Egg cases can be found on tree bark and other nearby surfaces, such as rocks, outdoor furniture, vehicles and structures.
(Credit: Nancy Bosold, Penn State Extension)

“Spotted lanternflies are great hitchhikers, and they will lay eggs on a multitude of outdoor objects, such as cars, RVs and campers, plant materials, and other items that could be transported out of the quarantine area,” said Emelie Swackhamer, a Penn State Extension horticulture educator.

That quarantine now encompasses all of Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Philadelphia and Schuylkill counties. Plants, plant-based materials and outdoor household items can’t be taken out of the area.

The insect feeds on the woody parts of plants and excretes a substance known as honeydew. That substance helps support the growth of sooty mold, which can stunt growth of the plant. Honeydew also attracts stinging insects.

Researchers still don’t know the best — and least intrusive — ways to kill the insects.

“When I get calls from residents seeking advice, I talk them through an integrated pest management thought process,” Swackhamer said. “Start with mechanical approaches, such as scraping and destroying egg masses and swatting or vacuuming nymphs and adults, if practical. If you kill one female that could lay 100 eggs in its lifetime, you can have an impact on next year’s population.”

The first three stages of immature spotted lanternflies are black with white spots. Fourth-instar nymphs, shown here, begin to appear in July and and will molt to become adults.
(Credit: Penn State Extension)

In February, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced $17.5 million in emergency funding to fight the spread of the spotted lanternfly in Pennsylvania.

“We’ve seen a dramatic expansion in the range of this pest over the last year,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. “And we need to take decisive action to prevent the spotted lanternfly from spreading throughout Pennsylvania and into neighboring states.”

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