Heather N. Kolich, ANR Agent, UGA Extension Forsyth County
Earlier this year, I received a call from man who was urgently reporting a large number of spotted lanternflies (Lycorma delicatula) that were landing on trucks all over the depot. He was absolutely correct to call and report sighting them. These invasive planthoppers congregate in huge numbers, suck the sap from plants, and produce copious sticky droppings (called honeydew) that grow sooty mold. While their favorite host plant is another invasive species, tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima), when their feeding activity weakens that tree, spotted lanternflies (SLFs) transfer to native hardwoods, fruit trees, and grapevines and feed on those. The injury SLFs causes to these plants poses a threat to Georgia’s agriculture, horticulture, and timber industries, which are important mainstays for our state economy.
Fortunately, my caller was witnessing the invasion from Forsyth County, North Carolina. So far, spotted lanternfly has not been reported in Georgia. But it is present in 17 states, including neighboring Tennessee and North Carolina. We’re asking you to be on the lookout and let us know if you see them here. Better yet, bring us some in a jar.
What to look for
With their wings spread open, SLF looks like a colorful moth, but it doesn’t have the feathery antennae. When opened, the forewings are tan with black spots and a have a darker, unspotted section at the tip. The hindwings are bright red with black spots and have white and black banded tips. It has a heavy, rounded body similar to a bumble bee, and is equipped with piercing, sucking mouthparts. When resting, their wings fold up tent-like over their bodies and appear pink and brown with black spots about two-thirds of the length from the head. The head and legs are black.
From July through December, adult SLFs are active and laying eggs. The females lay columns of eggs in masses of 30-80, and then cover them with a putty-like excretion that looks like mud when it dries. SLFs lay eggs on tree trunks and branches, logs, fence posts, mailboxes, and other objects, including cars. Hitchhiking on cars allows invasive pests to spread quickly from state to state.
Nymphs hatch in spring (April-June) and mature throughout the summer. Early-stage nymphs are black with white spots on their bodies and legs; later-stage nymphs retain the spots and black legs, but the body turns red with black accents.
What to do
The USDA Forest Service describes four elements of invasive species management:
- Prevention
- Early Detection and Rapid Response
- Control and Management
- Rehabilitation and Restoration
SLF got past the first line of defense, prevention. The second action point, early detection and rapid response, is critical and time sensitive. Once invasive species reach a certain level of spread and numbers, we lose the opportunity to eradicate them and must continually manage against the damage they cause.
The fact that SLF hasn’t been reported in Georgia doesn’t mean that it isn’t here. Invasive species that hitchhike on vehicles can travel far and fast and pop up in random and widely separated areas. All of us play a role in the early detection and rapid response phase. Here’s what we can do:
- Scout for SLF. The more people who look for SLF and egg masses, the better chance we’ll have of detecting the pest before it reaches the damage threshold.
- From summer through spring, look for mud-like smears in unlikely places – on trees, under flaky bark, on outdoor furniture, on vehicles, on the side of buildings, etc. SLF lay eggs in columns and rows on many different surfaces, then camouflage them, partially or entirely, under putty.
- Squish and scrape egg masses to prevent hatching.
- Remove and/or refrain from planting tree-of-heaven plants on personal property.
- Take photos and document geographic location of SLF or egg masses in Georgia.
- Report sightings of SLF and/or egg masses to your local UGA Extension agent.
To report sightings of SLF in Forsyth County, send photos and location information to hnkolich@uga.edu with “Spotted Lanternfly Sighting” in the subject line.