Destructive, invasive insect continues to spread in Ohio

Ohio State University Extension-Hancock County will hold a management workshop on the newly invasive spotted lanternfly (SLF). This new pest can cause extensive losses in vineyards, orchards and hop yards, and can damage woody ornamentals and trees. There will be two programs on April 11 at the Hancock County Agricultural Center, 7868 County Road 140. The first, from 2:30-4:30 p.m., is designed for industry professionals working in vineyards, orchards and hop yards. Industry personnel can earn pesticide recertification credits for their license at this session. Arborist and landscapers are encouraged to attend. A second session, designed for the public, will be held from 5-7 p.m. Programs are free, but registration is required at go.osu.edu/slf22 The spotted lanternfly (SLF) (Lycorma delicatula) is a new, nonnative invasive insect pest to the United States. Spotted lanternfly is thought to be native to China, Japan, Vietnam and Taiwan, though it has been reported as a serious nonnative, invasive pest in Korea. In the United States, it was first discovered in 2014 in southeastern Pennsylvania. Since then, it has spread to Delaware, Virginia, New Jersey and Ohio. Spotted lanternfly has the potential to cause harm to trees, grapes, apples and hops. Spotted lanternfly is not a fly, but a large, sap-feeding planthopper that feeds from the phloem tissue of host plants. They have four wings and a piercing-sucking mouthpart that is used to pierce their food source and suck out the fluids. Adults measure approximately 1 inch long and ½-inch wide at rest, and 1½ to 2 inches wide with wings spread. The front wings are a translucent gray with black spots, transitioning to a black tiled pattern at the tips. The hind wings are red with patches of black and white. When at rest, the forewings lay tent-like over the body. The red coloration of the hindwing shows through, resulting in a pinkish appearance with black spots. The spotted lanternfly has a one-year lifecycle. Adults lay eggs in late fall through the first freeze. Eggs are laid on host plants or any flat surface in clusters of 30-50 eggs arranged in four to seven columns of aligned, seed-like eggs. These columns of eggs, measuring approximately 1 inch in length, are covered in a mud-like substance by the female. This coating begins as a light gray but darkens and cracks with age. First hatch begins in late April to early May. The juveniles that emerge from the eggs are called nymphs. These nymphs are about a ¼-inch long and resemble a tick with black with white spots. After the third molt, about mid-summer, nymphs will be ¾-inch long and their color will change to red with white dots and black stripes. By late summer, nymphs will molt into adults. Adults will have wings and the ability to reproduce. As winged adults, they are weak flyers and prefer jumping. They move into new areas quickly by hopping onto transportation vehicles and by people who move infested materials or those containing egg masses. Adults mate in early fall and lay eggs for overwintering to start a new cycle the following spring. Nymphs feed on a wide range of plants. Adults also feed on several host plants; however, their food of choice is the tree-of-heaven, grapevine, fruit trees, hops, oak, pine, poplar and walnut. The spotted lanternfly uses its piercing mouthparts like a straw to suck plant sap from the phloem tissue of trunks and branches of trees, shrubs and vines. Adults and nymphs can congregate and feed in mass. This feeding reduces the vigor and the overall health of the plant. Grapevine is considered the most vulnerable crop to economic losses from SLF. The loss in vigor of the vines increases susceptibility to winter injury, reduced fruit set and premature death. Feeding by SLF also creates sweet sap that occurs in feeding wounds. The sap is attractive to other insects that are unwelcomed in the yard such as hornets, yellow jackets, flies and ants. SLF also excrete a sugary waste called honeydew. Honeydew, as a food source, attracts other insects to the area and promotes the growth of fungus, such as black sooty mold, which discolors plants in the landscape and makes them unattractive. Only a few counties have a reproducing population of SLF in Ohio. It was first detected in Jefferson County in October 2020. Since then, reproducing populations have been confirmed in Cuyahoga (2021) and Lorain counties (2022). No reproducing population has been found in Hancock County, though a single adult was found last year in the northern part of the county. At this time, no egg masses or reproducing populations have been found — so it may have been a hitchhiker on a train or car that decided to hop off while passing through the county. The infestations found so far in Ohio counties were near railroad tracks and on tree-of-heaven trees. Regardless, now is the time to become familiar with this destructive pest, scout plants — particularly tree-of-heaven — and prevent it from becoming established in the county. I encourage the community to participate in the upcoming SLF workshop. State speakers will present information about the insect's life cycle and biology, host preferences, and how you can help monitor and report any suspect finds. Management options will be included in both sessions, but the afternoon session will be geared toward edible crops with a focus on grapes. If you suspect that you may have seen spotted lanternfly in the area, please contact the Hancock County Extension office at 419-422-3851 or email lentz.38@osu.edu. Additional information on SLF may be found at https://agri.ohio.gov/divisions/plant-health/invasive-pests/ or https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/anr-83 Lentz is Extension educator for agriculture and natural resources for Ohio State University Extension-Hancock County.