If You See A Spotted Lanternfly In Virginia, Squish Or Trap It

VIRGINIA — If you happen to find a spotted lanternfly, an invasive insect that feeds on more than 100 host plants until their leaves curl and wilt and render them vulnerable to fatal diseases, squish it and let Virginia agricultural officials know you did it.

With speckled light brown forewings and scarlet and black hind wings, they don't look like a menace, but agricultural officials are trying to stop these planthoppers before they spread into western states.

Spotted lanternflies, first discovered about a decade ago in Pennsylvania, are established in 14 states — Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, and West Virginia.

And they have been reported in several others, including Utah, California and Oregon, where dead lanternflies have been observed. It’s unclear if the pests naturally migrated there, or if they hitched a ride on products like landscaping plants, firewood and other products that move across the country.

The threat to trees and the industries they support is so severe that public officials are outright telling people to squish adult lanternflies on the spot — before they can deposit their egg masses.

“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 New York City Parks Department said last summer.

Adult lanternflies begin emerging in July and can be found through December, according to Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

If you find a spotted lanternfly, snap a photo, file a report with state officials, and then kill the bug. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says most states are at risk, and timely reports are the best way to eradicate the insects before they become even more invasive.

Right now, spotted lanternflies are in their adult stage (they have a three-stage lifecycle), and these prolific breeders are busy laying masses, which contain anywhere from 30-50 eggs.

Know what you’re looking for. While many photos show them with their wings unfolded, exposing their red-spotted under wings, that only happens when the insects are ready to take flight. It’s more common to see adults resting with their black-spotted, pinkish-tan wings folded over their backs. When females are carrying eggs, their abdomens swell to the point they can barely fly.

Fighting Spotted Lanternfly In Virginia

To slow the spread of the spotted lanternfly, the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services ordered a quarantine for Albemarle, Augusta, Carroll, Clarke, Frederick, Page, Prince William, Rockbridge, Rockingham, Shenandoah, Warren and Wythe counties, and the cities of Buena Vista, Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, Lexington, Lynchburg, Manassas, Manassas Park, Staunton, Waynesboro and Winchester.

Businesses in the quarantined area are required to obtain a permit from VDACS and inspect all regulated articles leaving the quarantined area to ensure that the articles do not contain any life stage of the spotted lanternfly. Regulated articles are items considered to be a risk for the movement of spotted lanternfly to un-infested areas and include, but are not limited to:

• Nursery stock; green lumber; firewood; logs; perennial plants; mulch
• Outdoor industrial or construction materials or equipment; concrete barriers or structures; stone, quarry material, ornamental stone, or concrete; or construction, landscaping, or remodeling waste
• Shipping containers, such as wood crates or boxes
• Outdoor household items including recreational vehicles; lawn tractors or mowers; grills; tarps; mobile homes; tile; stone; deck boards; or
• Any equipment, trucks, or vehicles not stored indoors; or any trailer, wagon.

Report spotted lanternfly sightings in Virginia and submit a sample (whenever possible) following the directions provided online.

Helpful Info

• Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine
• Map of Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine in Virginia

Businesses, municipalities, and government agencies that move any regulated item within or from the quarantine zone must have a specialized permit. The permit may be obtained by taking a free online training course and exam through PennState Extension.

All spotted lanternfly permits for Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware are transferable and valid throughout the region, the ag department said.

If you can’t bring yourself to squish them, trap them.

New Jersey Patch collaborated with Duke Farms environmental experts to show readers how to make do-it-yourself lanternfly traps. (See the 11-minute step-by-step video below.)

You’ll need:

• 2 plastic 1-gallon milk or water jugs that can be cut with scissors
• 2 one-half-inch thick rubber bands
• 1 22-inch-long piece of 16-gauge metal wire
• 1 24-inch-by-36-inch plastic coated screen, such as a window screen replacement
• 1 2.5-gallon Ziplock bag
• 1 6-inch long piece of all-weather tape
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks
• All-natural string or twine