moss covered tree roots and large rocks

Pike County Conservation District > Spotted Lanternfly

Spotted Lanternfly

Life stages of spotted lanternfly chart, with an egg mass, early nymph, late nymph, adult with wings closed, and adult with wings open. The early nymphs are black with white spots, late nymphs are red with black stripes and white spots, and the adult has light pink wing with black spots.

*Click here to read an article on the Spotted Lanternfly by PCCD Resource Conservationist Marianna Quartararo*

 

As of February 2021, Pike County has been added to the map of counties where Spotted Lanternfly has been found and is now in quarantine. This means that all individuals and businesses making regular trips in and out of the quarantine area should comply with the following tips:

  1. Learn what SLF looks like in all stages of life (see the slide show above and the egg mass video at the bottom of the page.)
  2. Learn what other counties are included in the quarantine (see the map below.)
  3. If you are a business, a Spotted Lanternfly permit is required. (Find out if your business needs a permit.)
  4. Inspect all personal items that are moved in and out of the quarantine zone, Spotted Lanternfly can hang on to anything!

Visit Penn State Extension to find more details on these listed steps.

What is Spotted Lanternfly?

  • It is an invasive pest, native to Asia, first found in the United States in 2014.
  • It has five distinct life phases (pictured right).
  • It overwinters as egg masses, which can be found on trees, posts, lawn furniture, cars, and many other surfaces.
  • Has piercing-sucking mouthparts that feed on the sap from over 70 different species of plants.
  • The feeding damage can be detrimental to the plants, causing decreased plant health and even death.
  • It excretes honeydew (a sugary substance) which can build up on surfaces, including lawn furniture, buildings, road signs, etc.
  • The build up of honeydew on surfaces promotes the growth of sooty mold (fungi), which can turn the surface black and sticky.
  • The honeydew can also attract other insects, including nuisance insects, such as bees and wasps.
  • They can not bite, sting or cause direct harm to humans or animals.
First nymphal stage of Spotted Lanternfly on a plant stem, a round black insect with white spots

Early nymph stage (1st through 3rd instars) when they first hatch from the egg masses. When they first emerge, they are only a few millimeters in length, and grow to be ~1/4 inch before the next stage.

4th nymphal stage of the Spotted Lanternfly on a leaf, a red round insect with white spots and black lines

Late stage nymph (4th instar). The last stage before becoming an adult, the bright red nymphs are ~1/2 inch in length.

A spotted lanternfly adult on a person's thumb

Adult Spotted Lanternfly, the final life stage. The adults are about 1 inch long, with bright pink under wings.

A PA map depicting which counties are under quarantine for spotted lanternfly; existing quarantine counties: Monroe, Northampton, Carbon, Lehigh, Schuylkill, Berks, Lebanon, Dauphin, Lancaster, Chester, Delaware, Philadelphia, Montgomery, Bucks, Luzerne, Columbia, Northumberland, York, Cumberland, Perry, Juniata, Mifflin, Huntingdon, Blair, Allegheny, Beaver, Pike, Wayne, Lackawanna, Montour, Franklin, Cambria, Cameron, Westmoreland, Lycoming, Union, Snyder, Centre, Adams, Fulton, Bedford, Indiana, Armstrong, Mercer, Washington. Counties added to quarantine in 2023: Clinton, Clearfield, Butler, Lawrence, Fayette, Somerset.

Where is it?

Spotted Lanternfly has been identified in 34 counties in Pennsylvania, after first being found in Berks county in 2014. These counties are now under a state-imposed quarantine for Spotted Lanternfly.

This quarantine affects vehicles traveling in, out and within the quarantined counties, and the loads they are carrying. The quarantine is to stop the spread of SLF into other counties and to slow the spread of the insects within the areas they already are. Review an interactive map that can tell you whether or not you are in a quarantine area.

Learn more about quarantine from the PA Department of Agriculture.

Spotted Lanternfly strongly prefers some economically important plants, which include grapevines, birch, willow, maple trees, etc. If quarantine is not adhered to, and the spread of Spotted Lanternfly goes unchecked, it could cost the Pennsylvania economy at least $324 million annually, according to economists at Penn State.

 

What to do about it?

When you spy a Spotted Lanternfly, no matter what life stage, you should squish it! For a demonstration of how to destroy what you found, watch the video below.

If you think you have found a Spotted Lanternfly, you should report what you found to Penn State Extension in your county. For help identifying and reporting Spotted Lanternfly, click here.

If you are a business that travels in and out of the quarantine counties, click here for permitting information for your vehicles.

To learn more about this invasive pest, visit Penn State's website for more information, click here.

Illustrated silhouette of birds on a branch
FACT

Invasive species cost the US over 120 billion dollars each year. These species impact tourism, transportation, resource use, water withdrawals and much more.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Never move animals or plants from one area to another. Don’t move firewood, soil, or other items that might contain insects or microbes.