It’s that time of year again: The invasive spotted lanternfly is laying its eggs on the U.S. East Coast, and public officials are directing everyone to destroy them on sight.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) urged Americans to be on the lookout for the fluffy, brown masses of eggs laid by the insect, which will emerge later this year as adults and cause $550 million in damage to crops and trees.
Masses of lanternfly eggs can be seen on trees, vehicles and other outdoor surfaces as winter gives way to spring, and they are expected to hatch in May.
USDA officials recommend scraping the eggs from the surface, putting them in a plastic bag, and throwing the bag in the trash; This will ensure that none survive.
Spotted lanternflies lay their eggs on trees, cars, and almost any hard surface. The USDA recommends discarding the dough, putting it in a plastic bag and throwing it in the trash.
The spotted lanternfly is not a fly, but a species of leafhopper. It can be identified by its distinctive spotted forewings with black veins on the tips.
On hard outdoor surfaces, USDA officials recommend using a pressure washer to remove and destroy eggs.
Many insects stick to a small amount of preferred foods, but not the lanternfly.
Once the eggs hatch, these invasive insects will feed voraciously on more than 100 different plants, including commercially important food crops such as apples, pears, walnuts, peaches, plums and grapes.
Their distinctive spotted forewings and bright red undersides make them stand out, but these beautiful insects are destructive.
Spotted lanternflies, native to Southeast Asia, are now found in 17 states and contribute to an estimated $40 billion in damage caused by invasive species each year.
The spotted lanternfly was first reported in Pennsylvania in 2014, but experts now say it is now found in at least 16 other states: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina. Ohio, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.
‘Invasive insects and plant diseases, such as spotted lanternfly, sponge moth, citrus greening, and many others, cost the U.S. approximately $40 billion each year in crop damage, trees and other plants’. saying Kathryn Bronsky, national fluffy moth policy manager at USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).
“Together we can make a difference,” Bronsky said.
Courtesy of the USDA, this spotted lanternfly egg mass was spotted on a platform in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, on August 29, 2018.
This lanternfly was captured in the act of laying its eggs on a tree branch in Berks County, Pennsylvania.
In this 2023 graph, states with sightings included Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, Virginia, New Hampshire, Vermont and West Virginia.
Because lanternflies can lay eggs in vehicles, they have been able to spread easily between states.
They can even be attached to planes and trains, USDA officials have said.
Matthew Travis, USDA APHIS national policy manager for the spotted lanternfly, encouraged U.S. residents to ‘look for egg masses of invasive pests during late fall, winter, and early spring on open surfaces free such as tree bark, cars, and items stored outside.
“When you find them, remove them to prevent them from hatching in the spring or, worse yet, hitchhiking on the cars we travel in, or on the firewood and outdoor gear we move to new places,” Travis said.
License to Kill: Agriculture officials want all U.S. residents to take it upon themselves to kill the spotted lanternfly when they see it.
Despite being visually striking, the spotted lanternfly is destructive, chewing on over 100 different ornamental and food plants alike.
The USDA now estimates that the lanternfly is found in 17 states.
Their numbers skyrocketed because they have no natural predators in the United States.
When they feed on plants, they secrete a sweet, sticky substance that encourages mold growth.
Even if your feast doesn’t kill the plants, mold can.
Experts fear that, in addition to food crops, hardwoods used for lumber production could fall victim to the lanternfly.
So do your part, experts urge, and destroy a mass of spotted lanternfly eggs.
