![]() If using banding tape around trees, then Kunkel recommends using narrower bands or bands with a wire mesh over them to reduce the likelihood of “collateral capture” of other small mammals and birds. With eyes on the sides of their heads, they are quick to evade a fatal stomp. In mid-summer, they turn red (still with white polka dots), and by August, most have morphed into their winged adult stage.īut “they’re fast little suckers,” as Kunkel puts it. Their coating is black, with white polka dots, and as they grow, they split along their back and crawl out into a new life stage. With eggs laid from September to mid-November, the insects hatch in early spring. ![]() Instead, it is known as a “hopper” and grows its wings only in the adult stage. Often mistaken for ticks (as babies) or moths (as adults), the spotted lanternfly is neither. They can be hard to spot - and harder to kill. Now, as late summer approaches and as the insects mature and multiply, the University of Delaware's resident spotted lanternfly expert Brian Kunkel, extension specialist II in Cooperative Extension, offers five important things to know about these pests:ġ. Adults die in the winter, and the eggs overwinter and hatch in the spring.It seems one of the few remaining facts on which we can all agree: These bugs are bad - bad for our backyards, our native ecosystem and our economy.Īn invasive pest with a healthy appetite for plants like grapevines, hops and other fruit crops and trees, the spotted lanternfly feeds on a wide range of fruit, ornamental and woody trees, piercing the plant stems and tree bark, thus depleting the plant’s energy reserves and costing hundreds of millions of dollars annually in lost agriculture. There is one generation per year in Pennsylvania. The life cycle of spotted lanternfly, beginning from egg to adult. Adult Spotted Lanternfly - Group feedingĪ large group of spotted lanternfly adults, feeding at the base of a tree. Photo by Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. You may also see them when they are frightened, or when they have been poisoned with an insecticide. You will see their wings when they are flying and gliding. While spotted lanternfly adults can fly, they often prefer to jump and glide. Adult Spotted Lanternfly- Open-wingsĪn adult spotted lanternfly with its wings open. ![]() The side-view of a spotted lanternfly adult. The females tend to be slightly larger than the males. The top-view of a spotted lanternfly adult. ![]() Late Stage Nymphs and Adult Spotted LanternflyĪ group of the late stage 4th instar nymphs, and an adult. They are strong jumpers, and will jump when prodded or frightened. They are ~1/2 inch long, and are bright red, covered in black stripes and white spots. These are the last nymph stage before becoming adults. Late Stage Nymph of Spotted LanternflyĪ late stage nymph (4th instars). Image by Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. Early instars tend to feed on the new growth of a plant, such as the stems and foliage. Several early stage nymphs feeding on a tree-of-heaven. Early Stage Nymphs of Spotted Lanternfly Feeding The have black bodies and legs, and are covered in bright white spots. As they age, they grow to be ~1/4 inch long. These hatch from the eggs and are just a few millimeters in length. Early Stage Nymph of Spotted LanternflyĪn early stage nymph (1st-3rd instars). Here, you can see each individual seed-like egg. Old egg masses, which have the putty or mud-like covering worn off. The egg masses are covered in a white putty-like substance, which age over time to look like cracked mud. Spotted Lanternfly Egg Masses - Freshįreshly laid egg masses, which are about 1” long and laid on hard surfaces, including trees, stones, patio furniture, etc. All life stages of the spotted lanternfly, from egg to adult.
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