13 Reports Of Invasive Spotted Lanternfly On Upper West Side

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — If you come across an eye-catching insect with reddish wings and black spots on the Upper West Side this week, there's one thing you should do, according to local authorities.

Kill it.

That bug is the spotted lanternfly, a highly invasive species whose arrival in New York City could spell doom for the area's forests and crops. Native to Asia, it first appeared in the U.S. in 2014, before being spotted in Staten Island last summer.

In recent weeks, sightings have jumped across the city, including on the Upper West Side.

On the iNaturalist website, New Yorkers have documented over 200 lanternfly sightings this year, including more than a dozen on the UWS from Aug. 3 to 16.

Here are the locations of those reported spottings:

• West 97th Street and Columbus: Aug. 9
• Broadway between West 92nd and West 93rd Streets: Aug. 3
• West 84th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam: Aug. 10
• Central Park West and West 86th Street: Aug. 10
• West 70th Street and Broadway: Aug. 15
• In Riverside Park near West 67th Street: Aug. 10
• West End Avenue between West 65th and West 66th Streets: Aug. 16
• West 62nd Street between Freedom Place and West End: Aug. 12
• Riverside Boulevard and West 61st Street: Aug. 10
• Three in Waterline Square Park, between West 59th and West 61st Streets: between Aug. 6-14
• Central Park West between West 60th and West 61st Streets: Aug. 16

Samantha Sarduy recently saw a Spotted Lanternfly at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts campus on the Upper West Side. She snapped a picture.

"Harming our city's wildlife is prohibited, but in an effort to slow the spread of this troublesome species, we are putting out a one-time call: if you see a spotted lanternfly, please squish and dispose of this invasive pest," the Parks Department said in a notice.

Besides the bugs themselves, New Yorkers should look for their inch-long, waxy, brownish-gray egg masses, which can be scraped off of trees and rocks, then frozen and disposed of.

We're sounding the alert on the SPOTTED LANTERNFLY after a recent surge in Manhattan observations on @inaturalist—over 30 in just the last week. This invasive planthopper destroys plants and trees, but does not hurt humans. Kill it by swatting or squashing. pic.twitter.com/9YyIuTjMBu
— Manhattan Bird Alert (@BirdCentralPark) August 15, 2021

Spotted lanternflies don't kill trees directly — they feed on the sap of more than 70 plant species, causing the plants stress that can make them more vulnerable to disease. The insects also excrete a sticky "honeydew," attracting mold that can interfere with photosynthesis.

If they keep spreading, the lanternflies could threaten New York's valuable apple and grape industries, as well as hops, maple and timber.

And we bear some complicity for the infestation: lanternflies spread mostly through human activity, laying their eggs on objects like firewood, stone and outdoor furniture that are taken from place to place.

If you see a spotted lanternfly, report it to the Parks Department — and, if you wish, email a photo to gus.saltonstall@patch.com.

Patch reporter Nick Garber contributed to this report.