Heightened Concern Regarding Spotted Lanternfly

PORTLAND, NEW YORK (July 25, 2024) –The Lake Erie Regional Grape Program, Cornell Cooperative Extension, New York State Integrated Pest Management, and Penn State Extension have been working together with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and New York Department of Agriculture and Markets to educate grape growers, processors, and community members about Spotted Lanternfly for about a decade. This invasive pest originally made its way to southeast Pennsylvania from China in 2014. It was found in New York State in 2020 on Staten Island, Ithaca, the Hudson Valley and even Syracuse. In 2022 an established population was found in Buffalo, NY, last year Spotted Lanternfly plagued Pittsburgh PA in large numbers, and now it has been found in the Finger Lakes Region – specifically Romulus, NY.

Due to all of the established populations closing in on the Lake Erie Region, it has been deemed an extremely high-risk pathway for infestation. These insects are not strong flyers on their own but are great hitchhikers. Many of the life cycle stages are easily transported by rail or car, both of which have many very busy pathways through our grape growing region. Adult SLF tend to lay eggs on just about anything and they have a tendency to place them in areas that are hidden and protected. Due to this they are easily moved to new areas especially if a driver is unaware or has not scouted for the egg masses or current life cycle stage. If you have any vehicles, trailers, equipment, etc that were in a quarantined or infested area last season, we want to encourage you to carefully inspect them for egg masses and report if any are found. Travelers are encouraged to scout your vehicles, trailers, or any equipment you may be transporting from or through any of the Spotted Lanternfly infested areas and bringing into the Lake Erie Grape Region which spans from Erie County, PA, through Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Erie, and Niagara Counties in New York. If you are expecting guests from any of those areas, please ask them to check their vehicles as well.

Spotted Lanternfly have one life cycle per year, which is good news for grape growers and homeowners alike. This time of the year, July-August, you can find from the second instar up to the adult life cycle stages. Around July the nymphs develop into their fourth instar phase which is red with black streaks and white spots. These are approximately 3/4” and tend to congregate to feed on both the green stems of plants and the more woody areas like trunks and branches and on the grapevine trunks and cordons. All stages of this insect are phloem feeders. They have piercing-sucking mouthparts that act like a straw that they insert into the plant to get the phloem or sap flowing through the plants. They consume what they need and then excrete the rest in vast quantities which is a sticky sweet substance known as “honeydew”. This becomes a problem for homeowners and grape growers because it attracts other insects and is a great medium for sooty mold to grow. Adult SLF begin to be seen in mid to late July and stay until we get some consistent cold weather. These are the easiest of the life cycle stages to spot because the adult is approximately 1” long and they tend to congregate in groups to feed. Adults are the only stage with wings but they are not strong flyers. All stages are excellent jumpers. The adult has gray forewings with black spots and red, black and white hind wings. Egg masses are laid later in the year and can be found through the winter.

A pocket guide has been developed by the Lake Erie Regional Grape Program to aid in scouting for and identification of each of these life cycles. You can find that guide online by going to https://lergp.com/spotted-lanternfly and clicking on the picture of the pocket guide. There are additional resources at this link as well.

As this insect closes in on our area and threatens our grape acreage we are asking for your help! Please take a look at the materials, download them if you can, and keep an eye out for this invasive planthopper. If you find something that you suspect to be it we ask you to take a picture, KILL IT!, then collect it so we can get a positive identification. If you are in New York state, you can report it at reportslf.com

In Pennsylvania you can report it at https://extension.psu.edu/have-you-seen-a-spotted... or call 1-888-4 BAD FLY (1-888-422-3359).

We have over 30,000 acres of grapes in the Lake Erie Region and this pest is known to have devastated vineyards in Southeast Pennsylvania. That is why it is imperative that we all keep an eye out for Spotted Lanternfly and try to stay ahead of it before it gets a chance to become established.

Some advice from Brian Eshenaur, Senior Extension Associate, NYS Integrated Pest Management Program, Cornell CALS, in light of the recent discovery of SLF in Romulus:

1. Don’t freak out. We’ve known this pest was coming and would eventually show up here, so while it isn’t welcome news, this isn’t a surprise. Thanks to the experiences and hard work of our friends in Pennsylvania, we are much better prepared to respond to the arrival of SLF. When a new population is found in area, especially a smaller one as this appears to be right now, it takes a year or two for the numbers to build to a point where they become a concern. At this point, we don’t anticipate that SLF will have a real impact on any vineyards this year.
2. Be more active in scouting for Tree of Heaven if you haven’t done so already. Start scouting treelines around vineyard blocks to identify any Tree of Heaven (TOH). While SLF can feed on many different plants, they have a special relationship with TOH. It’s likely the first plant on which you will find SLF, and females can produce more offspring if they feed on TOH than if they don’t.
3. Scouting vineyards in September and October for SLF is especially important, as this is when the spotted lanternfly adults move into vineyards from surrounding trees. Females will also be laying eggs on just about anything they find at that time.
4. If you find SLF nymphs (now) or adults (starting sometime in August), be sure to report them using the SLF Reporting Form, the Lake Erie Regional Grape Program team members to get the information to IPM or Ag & Markets.

The Lake Erie Regional Grape Program is one of many programs offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County (CCE-Chautauqua). CCE-Chautauqua is a subordinate governmental agency with an educational mission that operates under a form of organization and administration approved by Cornell University as agent for the State of New York. It is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The association is part of the national cooperative extension system, an educational partnership between County, State, and Federal governments. As New York’s land grant university Cornell administers the system in this state. Each Cornell Cooperative Extension association is an independent employer that is governed by an elected Board of Directors with general oversight from Cornell. All associations work to meet the needs of the counties in which they are located as well as state and national goals. For more information, call 716-664-9502 or visit our website at www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua. Cornell University Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities.

Last updated July 25, 2024