One spotted lanternfly looks harmless — even handsome.
(Photo courtesy of News12 Connecticut)
But when hundreds swarm on a tree — as they’ve done to one in the Winslow Park woods — it’s clear that they’re dangerous.
Tree of heaven with spotted lanternflies, in Winslow Park. (Photo/Michael Mossman)
Kelle Ruden of the Westport Garden Club passes along some important information on this area’s newest, most invasive pest. It was compiled by Nathalie Fonteyne Gavrilovic, University of Connecticut advanced master gardener, and civics chair for the Westport Garden Club.
The spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) was first seen in Pennsylvania in 2014. The first Connecticut sighting occurred in in 2018.
There have been many sightings around Westport, and a fair amount of concern.
This insect is a real threat to our agriculture and forests. It is attracted to many trees and vines, though its preferred host is the invasive tree of heaven (Ailanthus alatus), which is abundant around town. It also is attracted to maples, willows, and 70 other species.
The lanternfly is not a great flyer, and does not pose a threat to humans. It is a sap-sucking insect.
The insect does not sting or bite. It inflicts damage by sucking the sap from plants, thus weakening the plant. As it feeds, it excretes a sugary substance (“honeydew”) which attracts other insects and promotes the growth of sooty mold. This black oozing substance is an indicator of the presence of Lanternfly.
There is one generation per year. But each female can lay one to two egg masses that can contain 30 to 60 eggs each. Click here to learn more about its life cycle.
Female spotted lanternfly with egg mass. (Photo courtesy of Cornell.edu)
Right now, the females are laying their eggs. The public can help reduce the insect population by spotting and destroying the egg masses.
These can be found on any hard surfaces. The females are not picky; they will lay on plastic or metal, as well as tree trunks or the underside of branches.
Egg masses look like a splotch of mud or putty, and are about 1 ½ inch by ¾ inch. Eighty to 90% of egg masses on trees are found 10 feet and above from the ground.
Inspect your property (wood siding, lampposts, tree trunks, undersides of branches, sheds, campers, basketball hoops, etc.). Document egg masses, report them, and destroy them.
Scrape the egg masses using a scraper (old plastic card, paint scraper, a spatula for example). Scrape the egg masses in a re-sealable bag (Ziploc works well); then spray or squirt some alcohol or hand sanitizer in the bag. Seal it (double bag it if possible).
You can also squish the eggs, but make sure all the eggs are not viable before the bag is thrown away.
We will not be able to eradicate all the egg masses, Nathalie notes. But together we can make a dent in the population.
For more information, click the links below:
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/plant_health/fs-slf-lookalikes.508.pdf
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