The spotted lanternfly is a planthopper that is indigenous to China, India, and Vietnam. Although it has two pairs of wings, it jumps more than it flies. Its host plants include grapes, stone fruits, and "Malus" species, though its preferred host is "Ailanthus altissima".
Similar species: True Bugs
By FrannySopranny
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Uploaded Aug 18, 2019. Captured Aug 17, 2019 16:44 in 51 Sawmill Run Dr, Jim Thorpe, PA 18229, USA.
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Do you have any photos of the adults? Posted 6 years ago
The dreaded, yet gorgeous, Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) is the latest non-native species to invade the United States. Native to Asia, it was first detected in Pennsylvania in 2014, and despite quarantine efforts, it has spread to at least six other states in the past five years.
Spotted lanternflies, which are actually planthoppers not flies, have a voracious appetite. They feed on a wide variety of fruit, ornamental, and woody trees. Overall, it’s believed that lanternflies use at least 40 species of native plants as hosts in the United States! Their lack of pickiness means that they may pose a significant threat to apple, stone fruit, grapes, hops, soybeans, hardwood, and ornamental industries. Long-term damage estimates are hypothetical, but lanternflies can easily decimate certain crops in a single season. For example, some grape growers reported 90% losses in a single year due to lanternfly infestations. In addition, while most insects lay eggs on or near their host plants, lanternflies are rebels. They will lay their eggs on nearly any surface: wheels, trains, shipping containers, trucks, cars, beehives, etc. Obviously, this increases their odds of spreading.
So, what’s being done? Scientists are testing insecticides, considering biocontrol options, researching naturally occurring pathogens, and are pondering the use of RNAi, which silences the expression of critical genes that are unique to the targeted insect. With any luck, a safe solution will be found! {Spotted in Pennsylvania, USA by JungleDragon user, FrannySopranny}
For more information or to report a sighting:
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/…/spotted-lan…/spotted-lanternfly
Posted 6 years ago