Have you Spotted the Spotted Lanternfly?
The Virginia Cooperative Extension is asking for your help in identifying and reporting any sightings of the spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) and its eggs. This invasive pest is a threat to Virginia’s hops, grapes, and peaches, and has also been found on ornamental plants. Tree-of-Heaven and grapevine are favorite host plants, and adult spotted lanternfly will lay eggs on any vertical smooth surface – not only on smooth-bark tree trunks, but also on cars and other smooth surfaces that are mobile. The species can be spread long distances by humans as we move infested material or inadvertently transport egg masses.
Native to China and first detected in Pennsylvania in 2014, the spotted lanternfly was detected in Frederick County, Virginia on January 10 of this year. We can help protect Virginia’s crops by learning how to identify the insect and egg masses, and by inspecting trees and plants for their presence.
