Infestations Of Spotted Lanternflies Continue Through Connecticut

CONNECTICUT — State scientists have discovered Connecticut's largest population of spotted lanternflies in Southport. Another population was found in nearby Westport.

The insect attacks many hosts and has the potential to severely degrade farm crops, particularly apples, grapes, hops and several species of tree.

The infestation of nymphs, or baby SLF, was found on a tree-of-heaven, along with a few adults. The SLF lay egg masses on trees and almost any nearby surface such as rocks, decks, houses, outdoor equipment and furniture. Nymphs hatch from the eggs from April to June.

"These detections of the spotted lanternfly indicate that this insect is expanding in Fairfield County and raises major concerns for Connecticut's agriculture," said Kirby Stafford, an entomologist with the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station.

Inspectors from CAES and the U.S. Department of Agriculture are now surveying the areas where the SLF were detected to determine the extent of the infestation.

In November, the bugs were discovered in New Canaan and Stamford. Two months earlier they had turned up in Greenwich, and a single adult insect, likely a hitchhiker, was found in West Haven. Single adults were detected in Farmington in 2018 and Southbury in 2019.

The SLF, first discovered in the United States in Pennsylvania in 2014, are native to China, India and Vietnam. The insects feed on sap, hopping from plant to plant. In the fall, adults about 1 inch long can often be found congregating on more than 70 species of plants. Its preferred host tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima) is an abundant fixture along highways, in urban areas, and along the edges of agricultural and industrial areas.

As spotted lanternfly nymphs and adults feed on the sap from trees and vines, the entire plant can become weakened because it cannot conduct photosynthesis as effectively, according to the CAES website. The excretions from encourage the growth of black sooty mold, thereby reducing photosynthesis. Agricultural crops will have reduced yields due to SLF feeding on fruit and generally weakening plants, if not completely destroying them. When populations of SLF are high, their excrement will rain from trees and can form slippery surfaces on steps and decks, as well as attract stinging wasps or bees.

CAES encourages anyone who suspects they have found a spotted lanternfly to snap a picture of it, collect it if possible, and report it to ReportSLF@ct.gov.