I spy a spotted lanternfly — and I'm gonna crush it. Here's why.
According to the World Population Review tracker, the pest has been spotted in 17 states as the weather gets consistently warmer: Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia and West Virginia.
Here's what the spotted lantern flies look like and why you should destroy them at any stage, including as egg masses.
Egg mass
Usually found Sept.-June
Egg masses look like smears of flat mud. Over time, the mass darkens to a yellowish-brown color.
A mass can hold around 30 to 50 eggs
Eggs hatch in the spring and early summer, from April through October
Early-stage nymphs
Typically found in late April through July
The newly hatched nymphs are black with white spots
Their size ranges from ⅛ inch to ¼ inch
Late-stage nymphs
Can be found from July to September
Red with black and white spots
About ½ inch in size
Adult
Usually seen from July to December.
About 1 inch long and ½ inch wide
Their tan forewings have black spots. Their hindwings, which are mostly hidden unless the wings are spread, have lower red and upper black patches, separated by a white section.
The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service advises people to destroy egg masses by smashing and scraping them into a plastic zip bag filled with hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol to kill them. Zip the bag shut and throw it in the trash.
If you spot a lanternfly, kill it by stepping on it or squishing it to help prevent them from spreading, and report the sighting to your state department of agriculture.
The spotted lanternfly poses a significant threat to the U.S. agricultural and forestry industries, according to the USDA. They cause infestations in hardwood trees and destroy grapevines and fruit trees, like apples, peaches and nectarines.
The nymphs feed on host plants by sucking sap from young stems and branches. When the adults feed, they excrete a sugar-rich fluid called honeydew that builds up under plants and can cause the growth of sooty mold to form, damaging them.
Spotted lanternflies are native to southeastern Asia. They hitched a ride to the U.S. on imported goods and were first detected in Pennsylvania in 2014. While parasitic wasps are natural predators that keep them in check in southeastern Asia, the lanternflies initially lacked native predators in the U.S., which is why their populations have become a problem.
But research has identified some possibilities. A recent Pennsylvania State University study found that spined soldier bugs native to North America, in addition to Carolina and Chinese mantises, were effective natural predators at destroying the invasive spotted lanternfly.
'The spotted lanternfly's ability to sequester toxins from its preferred host, the tree of heaven, raises concerns about its vulnerability to predators,' said lead researcher Anne Johnson. 'We hypothesized that the spotted lanternfly might harness the tree's bitter-tasting chemical compounds as a defense mechanism that could protect them against predation.'
These pests can travel across state borders by attaching themselves to outdoor equipment, vehicles and bicycles. The USDA asks people to check these items as well as outdoor furniture, tents, tarps and coolers before moving from an area that's known to be populated by the pest to help stop the spread.
Spotted lanternflies can lay eggs on pretty much anything, including: light bulbs, fence posts, tires, outdoor furniture and cushions. This handy checklist from the USDA provides a bigger list of items to check before you leave for a new location.
If you see egg masses, nymphs or adults: Destroy them.
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