Spotted Lanternfly

Adults are about an inch long at rest, with grey forewings bearing black spots and a hindwing patch that is red with black spots, visible in flight or when startled. Early nymphs are black with white spots, and late-stage nymphs become red with black and white markings. Egg masses are laid in rows and covered with a mud-like, greyish coating that weathers over time.

The distinctive spotted wings and, in nymphs, the black-then-red colour progression help separate spotted lanternfly from native planthoppers. Suspected finds in new areas should be reported to local plant health authorities.

Spotted lanternfly typically completes one generation per year. Eggs laid in autumn overwinter and hatch in spring into nymphs that develop through several stages before maturing into winged adults in late summer. Adults feed, mate, and lay overwintering egg masses, and then die with the onset of cold weather.

The insect uses many host plants through its life, often shifting hosts as it develops. The invasive tree of heaven is a favoured host in invaded regions and can support large populations that then move onto nearby crops.

Feeding removes plant sap and can stress plants, and the abundant honeydew the insect excretes promotes black sooty mould that coats leaves and fruit, reducing photosynthesis and marketability. Grapevines are considered especially vulnerable, where sustained feeding can reduce vine health over time.

The host range is wide and includes grape and various tree fruit and nut crops such as apple and walnut, among many woody ornamental and forest species. Impact on any given crop varies with local population pressure.

Monitoring includes inspecting trunks and stems for nymphs and adults, checking smooth surfaces and equipment for egg masses in autumn and winter, and watching for honeydew and sooty mould. Because the pest spreads by hitchhiking, checking and cleaning vehicles and materials leaving infested areas is an important surveillance and containment step.

Management emphasizes surveillance, containment, and host management, coordinated with plant health authorities where the pest is regulated.

• Report suspected finds to local plant health authorities, especially in new areas
• Scrape and destroy egg masses and check equipment and vehicles for hitchhiking stages
• Manage preferred host plants such as tree of heaven where appropriate and permitted
• Protect high-value crops such as vineyards through monitoring and targeted response
• Follow quarantine and movement rules that apply in regulated areas