Tag: spotted lanternfly

Department Issues Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine in Cecil and Harford Counties

Adult spotted lanternfly
Adult spotted lanternfly. Image: Lawrence Barringer, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Bugwood.org

Reposted from Maryland Department of Agriculture press release

The Maryland Department of Agriculture today issued a spotted lanternfly quarantine for all of Cecil and Harford Counties. This quarantine is effective immediately and will restrict the movement of regulated articles within the quarantine zone that contain the spotted lanternfly in any of its life stages, including egg masses, nymphs, and adults.

Examples of regulated articles include landscaping, remodeling, or construction waste; packing materials like wood boxes or crates; plants and plant parts; vehicles; and other outdoor items.

Following the department’s 2019 survey season, these two counties were found to have established populations of spotted lanternfly. The quarantine has been issued in an effort to control the spread of this invasive insect to other parts of the state. A map of the quarantine zone can be viewed here.Businesses, municipalities, and government agencies that require the movement of any regulated item within or from the quarantine zone must have a permit. A permit can be obtained by taking a free online training course through PennState Extension. Upon completion of the course and an online exam, individuals will receive a permit.

Managers, supervisors, or employees of a business or organization operating in the quarantine zone must receive the approved training and pass the exam by at least 70% to demonstrate a working knowledge and understanding of the pest and quarantine requirements. Training of other employees, inspection of vehicles and products, and removal of living stages of spotted lanternfly must also be completed.

All spotted lanternfly permits for Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware are transferable and valid throughout the region — meaning a permit from any of these states can be used in Maryland. Maryland is currently in the process of developing its own training and permitting system for spotted lanternfly.

Those living within the quarantine zone are encouraged to be vigilant in containing the spread of spotted lanternfly. The department has created a residential compliance checklist that is available for download on its website that educates residents on the lifecycle of the spotted lanternfly, and areas to inspect around the home.

The spotted lanternfly poses a major threat to the region’s agricultural industries as it feeds on over 70 different types of plants and crops, including grapes, hops, apples, peaches, oak, pine, and many others. Originally from Asia, the spotted lanternfly is nonnative to the U.S., and was first detected in Berks County, Pennsylvania in the fall of 2014. As a known hitchhiker, the spotted lanternfly has spread to 14 counties within Pennsylvania, and also has confirmed populations in Delaware, Virginia, and New Jersey.

This fall, the department’s Plant Protection and Weed Management Program partnered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to treat Ailanthus altissima for spotted lanternfly at multiple sites in the upper northeast corner of Cecil County, and along the northern border of Harford County. In total, 2,698 trees have been treated (2,403 trees in Cecil County and 295 trees in Harford County). The program continues to work with USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Plant Protection and Quarantine program, University of Maryland Extension and others to monitor the insect in Maryland.

If you suspect you have found a spotted lanternfly, snap a picture of it, collect it, put it in a plastic bag, freeze it, and report it to the Maryland Department of Agriculture at DontBug.MD@maryland.gov. Dead samples from any life stage can be sent to the Maryland Department of Agriculture Plant Protection and Weed Management Program at 50 Harry S. Truman Parkway, Annapolis, MD 21401.

More information about the spotted lanternfly can be found on the department’s website. For questions related to the quarantine, permitting, or treatment, please contact that Plant Protection and Weed Management Program at 410-841-5920.

Download the department’s Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine Fact Sheet for more details about the quarantine.

Guess the Pest! Week #1 Answer: Spotted Lanternfly

Bill Cissel, University of Delaware, Extension Agent – Integrated Pest Management; bcissel@udel.edu and Tyler Hagerty

Guess The Pest Logo

Congratulations to Joseph Baltrukonis for correctly identifying the insect as the spotted lanternfly and for being selected to be entered into the end of season raffle for $100 not once but five times. Everyone else who guessed correctly will also have their name entered into the raffle. Click on the Guess the Pest logo to participate in this week’s Guess the Pest challenge!

The spotted lanternfly is an invasive species originally from China, India, and Vietnam. It was first discovered in Berks County, PA in 2014 and has since been detected in Virginia, New York, and in New Castle County, Delaware. The adult is about an inch in length with a black head and legs. Its forewings are light brow to grey in color with black spots. The forewing tips have a black margin with a rectangular blocking pattern outlined in grey. The hind wings are red with black spots and the wing tips have a black margin separated by a white band. Only the forewings are visible when the bug is in a resting position.

The nymphs are similar to all other immature insects in that they lack wings. The first three immature stages are black with white spots. The fourth nymphal stage has black legs, a red body and is covered with white spots.

Spotted Lanternfly Nymph

Spotted Lanternfly Nymphs on Wild Grape

Spotted lanternfly egg masses are 1-1½” in length and ½ – ¾” wide, grayish-brown in color and are covered in a waxy coating. Each egg mass contains 30-50 eggs that are typically laid on vertical surfaces including tree trunks, telephone poles and even vehicles.

Spotted Lanternfly Egg Mass

The spotted lanternfly is univoltine (one generation per year) and overwinters as eggs. In the spring and early summer, the eggs hatch and the nymphs undergo four nymphal instars before molting into an adult in July. Adults begin laying eggs in September until the onset of winter which kills any remaining adults.

The adults and nymphs feed on plants by inserting their piercing-sucking mouth parts into young leaves and stems, removing plant sap. This causes plant stress, reducing photosynthesis, and can eventually contribute to plant death. They are not known to feed directly on fruit but excrete a sugary substance known as honeydew that facilitates the growth of sooty mold that can damage or kill whole fruit trees.

The spotted lanternfly’s preferred host plant is tree of heaven. However, it is considered a generalist, meaning it feeds on many species of plants, some of which are of economic importance including but not limited to blueberry, peach, grape, apple, nectarine, hops, and timber.

Currently, efforts are underway throughout the Mid-Atlantic to detect possible new infestations of spotted lanternfly. If you find an insect or egg mass that you suspect as spotted lanternfly, please follow the guidelines below for each respective state with details on how to report it.

Delaware
▪ For general information about spotted lanternfly in DE:
https://agriculture.delaware.gov/plant-industries/spotted-lanternfly/

▪ If you find a spotted lanternfly in DE, please report it to:
HitchHikerBug@state.de.us

Pennsylvania
▪ For general information about spotted lanternfly in PA:
http://www.agriculture.pa.gov/Plants_Land_Water/PlantIndustry/Entomology/spotted_lanternfly/Pages/default.aspx

▪ To report Egg Masses that have been scraped off in PA:
https://www.paplants.pa.gov/EntomologySurveyExternal.aspx

▪ To report caught specimens (young or adults) in PA:
http://www.agriculture.pa.gov/Plants_Land_Water/PlantIndustry/Entomology/spotted_lanternfly/Documents/ENTOMOLOGY%20PROGRAM%20SAMPLE%20SUBMISSION%20FORM.pdf

▪ Submit photographs of spotted lanternfly detections in PA to:
Badbug@pa.gov
Also call 1-866-253-7189 and report sightings

Virginia
▪ For general information about spotted lanternfly in VA:
https://ext.vt.edu/agriculture/commercial-horticulture/spotted-lanternfly.html

▪ Submit a photographs of spotted lanternfly detections in VA:
https://ask.extension.org/groups/1981/ask

Maryland
▪ If you observe any egg masses or insect that you suspect is a spotted lanternfly, please try to collect it, and inform the Maryland Department of Agriculture at (410) 841-5920 or DontBug.MD@maryland.gov as soon as possible.