A summer scourge of Spotted Lanternfly have returned to the Northeast and New York officials and researchers are asking for the public’s help in collecting data and preventing the spread of the invasive species.
Spotted Lanternfly populations were initially detected in North America in Pennsylvania in 2014. In New York, the first flies were detected on Staten Island in the summer of 2020.
Now, officials say the invasive pests have been detected in 29 of New York’s 62 counties.
“Unlike many other insects that we monitor for, there’s not a really reliable trap and lure for spotted lantern fly so we do have to, often, rely upon visual surveys to detect them,” said Chris Logue.
Chris Logue is the Director of the Division of Plant Industry at the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. He says it’s remarkably easy for the pest to spread.
“It is a really great hitchhiker. It moves or can be moved in multiple life stages. The eggs, which are laid in the fall of the year and go through the winter, those are laid on all types of material – rusty metal, fire wood, pallets, lawn furniture, it’s an exhaustive list. Really difficult to keep track of and inspect all of those different materials. As well as very difficult to inspect on agricultural commodities,” said Logue.
Logue adds the insect is having an impact on New York’s agricultural sector.
“Of course New York is a significant grape producer. Largest east of the Mississippi [River]. And we have a couple of different facets of the grape industry. We have the wine grape industry that many of you are familiar with. We also have a pretty big juice grape industry out in far western New York which utilizes machine harvesting which is a concern about getting spotted lantern fly into the grapes,” said Logue.
Brian Eshenaur has been leading the study of the invasive species at Cornell University. He says while often striking in appearance with red abdomens and black and whites spots, their impact on plants can sometimes be difficult for an untrained eye to identify.
“How they feed is—you don’t see evidence of them on the leaves, they don’t chew the leaves. They are sap feeders. They tap into the trees or vines’ pipework and they feed on the—they are removing the sap. And when they’re feeding on grapes when they’re feeding late in the season it can weaken them enough where if it’s not treated they won’t survive the winter,” said Eshenaur.
Eshenaur says now is the time to squash any Spotted Lanternfly before they can lay their eggs, though he adds it’s important to report them to the state first.
“Right now we’re looking at stopped lantern flies mostly. There might still be a few out there in the nymphal stages but most of them this time of year in August have become adults. They’re smaller adults, they’ll be gaining weight as they feed over the next several weeks. And then at the end of September they start to lay eggs and they can continue to lay eggs through September until really the first hard freeze,” said Eshenaur.
As officials continue to track the spread, they say they could benefit from more information about sightings north of Schenectady and Rensselaer counties.
