The spotted lanternfly (SLF), an invasive pest first found in Pennsylvania in 2014, is slowly making its way north with infestations already established in southern New York and much of Connecticut and Massachusetts. To date, there have been no confirmed infestations or established populations in Vermont.
Outdoor recreationists and travelers can do their part now to help slow the infestation by checking their gear and vehicles for egg masses, nymphs or adults, especially when traveling from states with active infestations. An interactive map showing known infestations can be found at https://go.uvm.edu/lanternflies along with information about the pest’s lifecycle and biology, its feeding behavior and management.
The three-fold Arrive Clean, Leave Clean campaign, which debuted in June, promotes ways to help slow the spread of invasive insects and plants. In addition to checking vehicles for SLF, the campaign encourages anyone spending time outdoors this summer and autumn to clean their gear and avoid moving firewood.
Each stage of the SLF is distinct. Nymphs are black with white spots and turn red with black and white spots as they develop. They are one-quarter to one-half-inch long and wingless.
The adults resemble colorful moths with brownish forewings with black spots and hind wings that are red, black and white. They are about an inch long and are often found swarming in large numbers, coating surfaces with a sticky honeydew that then attracts sooty mold.
The adult females will lay their egg masses, each containing 30 to 60 eggs, in rows, which they cover with a putty-like substance that resembles a patch of mud as it dries. These masses can be found on any outdoor surface from trees and tents to campers and the wheel wells, bumpers and between the windshield and hood of vehicles. They especially like to lay eggs on rusty metal.
The adults and nymphs also can hide and hitchhike in cracks and crevices on vehicles although egg masses transported on a vehicle are the primary way the pest is spread to new locations.
This sap-feeding insect already has caused huge problems in states with active infestations. Although primarily a pest of open spaces and forest edges, it feeds on more than 100 host plants and can be particularly devastating to grape vineyards, so could cause negative economic impact to vineyards.
To learn more about the Arrive Clean, Leave Clean campaign and measures to control the SLF and other invasives, go to vtinvasives.org/arriveclean. The website also has a link to report any sightings of invasive pests.
Featured photo: The spotted lanternfly, an invasive sap-feeding insect, is a menace in states with active infestations as it feeds on more than 100 plant species. Photo by Ansel Oommen/bugwood.org
