![]() ![]() ![]() When the adult is at rest, particularly on the trunk of the tree of heaven, their gray, spotted color may actually cause them to blend in with their surroundings. Adults are especially so when they have been startled and expose the bright red coloration on the hind wings. Both the immature insect and the adult are quite visually striking. This is the last immature stage before they mature into an adult. By the last immature stage, the 4 th instar, they develop red patches in addition to the black color with white spots. Early instars (immature stages 1 st, 2 nd, and 3 rd instar) are black with white spots. The legs and head are black, and the abdomen is yellow with black bands. Hind wings have contrasting patches of red and black with a white band. The forewing is gray with black spots of varying sizes and the wing tips have black spots outlined in gray. (After spending time on tree of heaven, the insects disperse in the local area to lay eggs just about anywhere.) Description/Life CycleĪdults are 1 inch long and ½ inch wide at rest. That being said, proximity to tree of heaven did not significantly influence the number of spotted lanternfly found on other hosts in a 2015-2016 host plant evaluation conducted in PA. In the fall in Pennsylvania, adult spotted lanternfly prefer to feed and mate on tree of heaven when compared to other host plants. Other hosts reported for this insect include, but are not limited to: American beech ( Fagus grandifolia), American linden ( Tilia americana), American sycamore ( Platanus occidentalis), big-toothed aspen ( Populus grandidentata), black birch ( Betula lenta), black cherry ( Prunus serotina), black gum ( Nyssa sylvatica), black walnut ( Juglans nigra), dogwood ( Cornus spp.), Japanese snowbell ( Styrax japonicus), maple ( Acer spp.), oak ( Quercus spp.), paper birch ( Betula papyrifera), pignut hickory ( Carya glabra), sassafras ( Sassafras albidum), serviceberry ( Amelanchier canadensis), slippery elm ( Ulmus rubra), tulip poplar ( Liriodendron tulipifera), white ash ( Fraxinus americana), and willow ( Salix spp.).Īdults can be found on tree of heaven ( Ailanthus altissima), an invasive plant. Plum, cherry, peach, apricot ( Prunus spp.).Tree of heaven ( Ailanthus altissima) (preferred host).The spotted lanternfly has been reported feeding on over 103 species of plants, according to new research (Barringer and Ciafre, 2020) and when including not only plants on which the insect feeds, but also those that it will lay egg masses on, this number rises to 172. This includes: In addition to Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, there are known established populations of SLF in Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia at this time. That particular company was stated to import over 150 shipments from China, India, and Brazil annually, according to the USDA APHIS bulletin. A 2014 United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) bulletin states that the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture found significant populations of the spotted lanternfly at multiple properties at the time of its detection, including residential properties and a commercial property with a specialty stone business. In South Korea, it is considered invasive and a pest of grapes and peaches. It has been introduced as a non-native insect to South Korea and Japan, prior to its detection in the United States. The spotted lanternfly is considered native to China, India, and Vietnam. For more information about SLF in Springfield, visit. As of August of 2022, a population of spotted lanternfly has also been detected in Hampden County, MA in the city of Springfield. An additional population of spotted lanternfly has been detected in Shrewsbury, MA (Worcester County January, 2022). A small population was announced by the MA Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) on Sept. The first established (breeding) population in Massachusetts was recently detected in the city of Fitchburg (Worcester County) in 2021. This non-native species was first detected in the United States in Berks County, Pennsylvania and confirmed on September 22, 2014. This insect is a member of the Order Hemiptera (true bugs, cicadas, hoppers, aphids, and others) and the Family Fulgoridae, also known as planthoppers. The spotted lanternfly ( Lycorma delicatula), also known as a lanternmoth, is neither a fly nor a moth. ![]()
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