Spotted lanternflies feed on plant sap, which stresses and weakens trees and vines, and they can kill some, like grapevines.
How
Spotted lanternflies (Lycorma delicatula) suck sap from stems and leaves. This weakens plants.
Damage
They harm grapevines, fruit trees, maple and walnut, and mostly stress and sometimes kill young or weak trees. Their sugary honeydew causes sooty mold.
Favorite host
Tree of heaven.
Origin
Native to Asia. First found in Pennsylvania in 2014.
What to do
Kill them, scrape egg masses and report in quarantine zones.
How the pest harms trees
The spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) is an invasive planthopper that feeds by piercing plant tissue and sucking sap. Heavy feeding weakens trees, reduces growth and makes them vulnerable to disease and winter damage, and it excretes honeydew that grows sooty mold, which blocks photosynthesis.
- It was first found in Berks County, Pennsylvania, in 2014, probably arriving on a shipment from China. It has spread to over 17 US states.
- Favorite host is tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima), also invasive, and it feeds on over 100 plant species including grapevines, maple, walnut and apple.
- Grape growers have reported major losses, and Penn State estimated potential economic impacts of hundreds of millions of dollars per year in Pennsylvania.
What to do
In quarantine states, check vehicles for egg masses (gray, mud-like patches laid on surfaces from fall to spring) and scrape them into a bag of rubbing alcohol. Kill adults and nymphs by stomping them. Report sightings to the state agriculture department. Removing tree-of-heaven helps. Trees usually survive limited infestations but young or stressed trees are at risk.
How the pest harms trees
Spotted lanternflies feed on sap by piercing tree bark, weakening plants and excreting honeydew that leads to sooty mold. They prefer tree of heaven but attack grapevines, maples and fruit trees. They rarely kill mature trees but damage vineyards.
What to do
Report sightings to the state agriculture department and squash adults. First found in Pennsylvania in 2014.
How the pest feeds
The spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula), native to China, was found in Pennsylvania in 2014. Nymphs and adults pierce plant tissue with sucking mouthparts and feed on sap from the trunk and branches, weakening trees. It prefers the tree of heaven but feeds on over 70 plants, including grapevines, maples, black walnut and fruit trees.
Damage and control
The insect excretes honeydew, a sticky liquid that grows sooty mold, which blocks light and stresses plants. Healthy trees often survive, but repeated attacks harm grapevines and young trees, and the pest threatens grape, apple and hardwood industries. Egg masses in autumn can be scraped into alcohol or bags. Residents in quarantine zones should check vehicles. Report sightings to state agriculture offices, and use traps and insecticides as local extension guidance advises.
Based on data from the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and Penn State Extension
