Spotted lanternfly

The spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) is a planthopper that is indigenous to China, India, and Vietnam. Although it has two pairs of wings, it jumps more than it flies. Its host plants include grapes, stone fruits, and Malus species, though its preferred host is Ailanthus altissima (Chinese sumac or tree of heaven). In its native habitat it is kept in check by natural predators or pathogens. It was accidentally introduced in Korea in 2006 and has since been considered a pest. In September 2014, it was first recorded in the United States, and it is now an invasive species in eastern Pennsylvania, southwestern New Jersey, northern Delaware as well as northern Virginia. The spotted lanternfly is originally native to parts of China, India, Vietnam, and eastern Asia. It is a one-inch-long and half-inch-wide planthopper belonging to the family Fulgoridae. It was first described by Adam White in 1845 as Aphaena delicatula with habitat outside of Nankin, China.Adult lanternflies have a black head and grayish wings adorned with the name-giving black spots, and their bodies seem to glow red. Their wing tips have a pattern that looks as if they are covered with tiny black bricks with grey mortar in between. In flight, the spotted lanternfly displays red hind wings with black spots on the proximal third, a white wedge in the middle of the wing, and a solid black wing tip. The abdomen is yellowish with black and white bands on the top and bottom.The lanternfly is a strong jumper; it hops from location to location more than it flies. In traditional Chinese medicine, the spotted lanternfly is believed to be poisonous, and is used topically for relief from swelling. It feeds on woody plants and non-woody plants, piercing the phloem tissue of foliage and young stems with its specialized mouthparts, and sucking the sap. The sugary fluid leaks and coats leaves and stems, and this can encourage mold growth. It does not eat the fruit or the leaves per se.The lanternfly has a wide host range of over 70 plant species, including grape vines, fruit trees, ornamental trees, and woody trees, including apples and several Rosaceae with stone fruits. Beginning in late April to early May, nymphs hatch from their egg cases. A nymph passes through several immature stages. In the first stage it is wingless and looks black with white spots. It then grows red patches in addition to the white spots. Next, it has red wing pads and a red upper body, before assuming the adult look of black head and grayish wings with black spots. Nymphs cannot fly, so they hop or crawl to search for plants to feed on. Young nymphs appear to have a wider host range early on, which narrows as they grow older.As early as July, adults can be seen. In the fall, adults mate and lay eggs from late September through the onset of winter. In their native Indomalayan habitat they will lay their eggs preferably on the Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima), which is an introduced invasive tree with toxic metabolites. This host choice is thought to have evolved as mechanism of protection from natural enemies. The lanternfly will lay eggs upon any smooth trunked tree, stone or vertical smooth surface, including man made items like vehicles, campers, yard furniture, farm equipment or other items stored outside. The egg masses contain 30–50 eggs, covered in a yellowish brown waxy deposit, the egg case. The lanternfly's life expectancy, is one year. The minimum temperature that will kill eggs was estimated by South Korean researchers to be between −12.7 and −3.4 °C (9.1 and 25.9 °F) on the basis of mean daily temperatures during their winter of 2009/2010.This estimate contrasts with eggs having survived the much colder winter 2013/14 temperatures in Pennsylvania, United States. Trees can develop weeping wounds of sap on their trunks. Heavy infestations can cause honeydew secretions to build up at the base of the tree, blackening the soil with fungal mats around the base of the tree. The sap may attract ants, bees, hornets, and wasps to feed on it. The plant may be stunted or even die. In 2006, the spotted lanternfly was accidentally introduced in Korea, and has been considered a pest since about 2007, as it expanded its host range, attacking at least 65 plant species, uninhibited by a natural enemy. The spotted lanternfly was first detected in the United States in Berks County, northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. On September 22, 2014, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and the Pennsylvania Game Commission confirmed its presence. Based on its host affinities, it presented a threat to the state's grape, fruit tree, and logging industries, because the greatest risk of spread was seen in people transporting materials containing egg masses laid on smooth bark, stone, and other vertical surfaces. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture banned transport of items that could harbor the hopper, including firewood, lawn mowers, outdoor chairs, trucks, and RVs from seven municipalities on November 1, 2014.Given the presence of old egg masses, the insect was estimated to have been in the area since at least 2012, having survived the 2013/14 winter's unusual cold.A national working group led by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, consisting of university and USDA scientists, was organized 'to determine what is known about the lanternfly and what research is needed, including DNA analysis to pinpoint where the infestation originated.' In July 2018, spotted lanternfly was confirmed in three New Jersey counties, in September 2018 in two New York locations as well as in Virginia. On February 28, 2019, the Delaware Department of Agriculture signed Emergency Regulations for Spotted Lanternfly that has enacted a quarantine for this pest.