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Spotted Lanternfly

Scientific Name

Lycorma delicatula (White) (Barringer et al. 2015)

Common Name

Spotted lanternfly (SLF)

Native To
Date of U.S. Introduction

First detected in 2014, but appeared to have been present in the U.S. for 2-3 years (Dara et al. 2015; Barringer et al. 2015)

Means of Introduction

Possible pathways include imported woody plants, wood products, and other commodities (EPPO 2016)

Impact

Poses a serious economic threat to multiple U.S. industries, including viticulture, fruit trees, ornamentals and timber (Urban et al.)

Spotted lanternfly

Spotted lanternfly, adult

Credit

Photo by Lawrence Barringer, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture

Find more images

Spotlights

  • USDA Asks Residents to Looks for Invasive Egg Masses

    • Mar 15, 2024
    • USDA. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

    • Help the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) stomp out invasive pests this spring! Challenge your detection prowess: Look for spotted lanternfly and spongy moth egg masses on vehicles, trees, and other outdoor surfaces during the winter and early spring.

  • Spotted Lanternfly Reveals a Potential Weakness

    • Jan 19, 2024
    • USDA. Blog.

    • USDA scientists have discovered that the spotted lanternfly, an invasive threat to fruit crops and many trees, may have an Achilles heel – an attraction to vibration. A native of China, the insect was discovered in Pennsylvania in 2014 and has since spread to 13 other states. Though beautiful as an adult, the insect is a voracious eater that feeds on woody and ornamental trees as well as a wide variety of crops and plants. Left unchecked, Pennsylvania alone could lose hundreds of millions of dollars and thousands of jobs.

      Richard Mankin, an entomologist with the USDA Agricultural Research Service’s Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology in Gainesville, FL, and colleagues found a new way to potentially corral and control the pests. Their research was published in the Journal of Economic Entomology.

  • USDA Releases Five-Year Strategy to Combat Spotted Lanternfly

    • Jun 23, 2023
    • USDA. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

    • The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Spotted Lanternfly Strategic Planning Working Group has released the Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) Five-Year Strategy for fiscal years 2024-2028 [PDF, 4.47 MB]. APHIS brought together the working group in August 2022 with representatives from APHIS, the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) and the National Plant Board (NPB). The working group developed a unified approach to reduce the spotted lanternfly’s spread and impacts through the effective use of available State and Federal resources.

  • Invasive spotted lanternfly: See it. Squish it. Report it.

    • Sep 19, 2023
    • Michigan.gov. Michigan Invasive Species Program.

    • The Michigan Invasive Species Program’s new campaign  – “See it. Squish it. Report it.” – reminds Michiganders and visitors of the simple steps they can take to prevent new introductions of spotted lanternflies in the state. f you find a spotted lanternfly egg mass, nymph or adult, take one or more photos, make note of the date, time and location of the sighting, and report it online to Eyes in the Field. Photos are necessary to verify a report and to aid in identification.

  • Spotted Lanternfly Identified in Illinois

    • Sep 26, 2023
    • Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

    • The Illinois Department of Agriculture has confirmed the first detection of spotted lanternfly (Lycorma deliculata) in Illinois. Following a report of a live adult on Sept. 16, state, federal, and local officials coordinated a site visit near the area of the report and identified a moderately populated area of spotted lanternfly (SLF) on Sept. 18. Specimens were collected and submitted for identification, and confirmatory results were received on September 26. The spotted lanternfly does not present any human or animal health concerns.

      If you see SLF or suspect it, report it to lanternfly@illinois.edu. A fact sheet, including photos, is available through the University of Illinois Extension [PDF, 1.6 MB].

  • Spotted Lanternfly Now Confirmed in Kentucky

  • PPQ-Trained Detector Dogs Track Down Lanternflies and Beetles

    • Jan 31, 2022
    • USDA. APHIS. Plant Protection Today.

    • They’re coming to get you, spotted lanternflies and Japanese beetles! Detector canines—trained by USDA's Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) program—are ready to sniff out these damaging invasive pests to detect them early and prevent their spread. These highly trained dogs represent some of the recent successes of our Agricultural Detector Canines strategic initiative. Its goal is to expand the use of detector dogs to enhance domestic pest surveys, detect pests early, and facilitate the trade of U.S. agricultural products.
      See also: National Detector Dog Training Center

  • Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship Urges Iowans to be on the Lookout for Spotted Lanternflies: Colorful but invasive and destructive insect has been confirmed in Iowa

    • Jul 26, 2022
    • Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.

    • The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship asks Iowans to be on the lookout for spotted lanternfly insects. The colorful but invasive and destructive insect is native to China, India, and Vietnam, and was accidentally introduced into Pennsylvania in 2014. It has since been confirmed in eleven states and often spreads by the movement of infested material or items containing spotted lanternfly egg masses. If allowed to spread further in the United States, this pest could seriously impact the country’s grape, orchard, nursery, and logging industries.

      A community member notified the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship of the presence of two immature spotted lanternflies in Dallas County earlier this month. Federal identification confirmed the sample as a spotted lanternfly. Surveys of the immediate area have not resulted in signs of an ongoing infestation and entomologists hope the insects recently hitchhiked into the area.

      If you think you have found a spotted lanternfly, please call the Entomology and Plant Science Bureau at 515-725-1470 or e-mail Entomology@IowaAgriculture.gov. You may also contact your local county Iowa State University Extension Office.

  • NCDA&CS Finds Spotted Lanternfly in Forsyth County: First Established Presence of the Pest in North Carolina

    • Jun 29, 2022
    • North Carolina State University. Cooperative Extension.

    • The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has confirmed the first established presence of the invasive spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) in the state. Initial surveys indicate the known distribution of the pest is within a 5-mile radius in Forsyth County near Interstate 40 in Kernersville extending to the Guilford County line.

      Early detection and rapid response are critical in the control of spotted lanternfly and the Plant Industry Division has been preparing to provide the most effective response to slow the spread of this invasive pest in the state. If you see or suspect spotted lanternfly in North Carolina submit a picture through the online reporting tool at ncagr.gov/slf.

  • State Agricultural Officials Ask Residents to Report Sightings of the Invasive Spotted Lanternfly: Hampden County Find Indicates Species Is Continuing to be Found in New Areas

    • Aug 9, 2022
    • Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources.

    • The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) today announced that an infestation of the invasive insect known as spotted lanternfly (SLF) was found in the City of Springfield last week. "With new populations of the spotted lanternfly likely to pop up more and more frequently as the invasive pest becomes established across the northeast, it is critical that we all remain diligent in identifying them early onAnyone who sees this pest is asked to report it promptly. Early detection will help limit the spread of spotted lanternfly and give orchards, farms, and other growers time to prepare."

      Anyone who has recently received goods or materials from states where SLF is known to have been introduced (including Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia; see SLF-infested states) should also be on the lookout. Additionally, if a spotted lanternfly is found, the public is asked to take a photo or collect the specimen, and report the sighting using MDAR’s SLF online reporting form.

Distribution / Maps / Survey Status

Quarantine

Videos

Selected Resources

The section below contains highly relevant resources for this species, organized by source.

Partnership
Federal Government
International Government
State and Local Government
Academic
Citations