Spotted Lanternfly Established in North Carolina

By Paul Adams, Amy Michael & Joy Goforth

Steve Troxler Commissioner of Agriculture

The highly invasive spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula, SLF) was first discovered in the United States in Pennsylvania in 2014 by a hunter who noticed a strange insect in large numbers on tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima). Through humanassisted movement such as vehicles, trains, campers, materials stored outdoors, and even landscape and hardscape materials, SLF has quickly invaded 14 states in just eight years. On June 23, 2022, SLF was reported and confirmed in North Carolina in the Kernersville area, on the border of Forsyth and Guilford counties.

This pest indiscriminately lays highly camouflaged egg masses on any outdoor surface, often looking for protected areas like the undersides of structures and tree cavities. Since the egg masses resemble spots of dried mud, they are often overlooked and are then transported to a new location, where they emerge in the spring and search to feed on one of more than a hundred suitable host plants.

SLF is a member of the family Fulgoridae, which places it more closely to the likes of cicadas and plant hoppers than to the flies and butterflies with which it is often confused. It is originally from eastern Asia, where it is not a problem and does not exhibit some of the problematic behaviors we see here in the United States. SLFs have piercing sucking mouth parts, and their prolific feeding results in the expulsion of a sugary excrement referred to as honeydew. This honeydew, which is generally unsightly and gross, encourages the growth of sooty mold and fungal mats in extreme cases, which can kill understory plants and attract stinging insects.

SLFs have one generation per year in the U.S., but they do not all hatch at once, meaning that multiple life stages can be found in one place throughout the year. In North Carolina, SLFs emerge from their egg masses in late March. The first instar (immature stage) moves up the tree or shrub to the young spring leaves and settles on leaf midribs and veins on the undersides of the leaves. This behavior is due to the more delicate mouth parts of immature SLFs, which are incapable of piercing more woody tissues. SLFs progress through three more immature (nymph) stages from early April through late July. In late June through July, the immatures develop into winged adults capable of mating and producing offspring. Adults are much more mobile and more likely to cause damage and symptoms on host plants. Adults converge to mate, often in large swarms, and females begin to lay eggs in early September. SLFs will lay eggs on nearly any surface you can imagine — not only on host plants, but practically anything stored outside.

At present, SLFs have been documented utilizing more than 130 different species of plants in the U.S. for either feeding or egg laying. Some hosts of note include maples, cherries, grapes, apples, willows, walnuts, sycamores, poison ivy, roses, staghorn sumac and others. SLFs also utilize two invasive plant species as hosts — tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima) and chinaberry (Melia azaderach), both of which are found in North Carolina. Tree of heaven is much more prevalent in central and western North Carolina, whereas chinaberry is much more prevalent in eastern North Carolina. Although SLF can complete its life cycle on either species, tree of heaven is highly preferred. Both chinaberry and tree of heaven specialize in disturbed habitats and can commonly be found on roadsides, in parking lot edges and along railway rights of way. Of the species mentioned above, grapes are the only commodity currently showing economic damage directly from SLF feeding; however, as SLFs establish further in the southern U.S., that may change. Agriculture accounts for about 6-6.5% of North Carolina’s economy, with a value of about $13 billion as of 2021. SLF poses a threat to our agricultural industries in two primary ways. First is the direct impact of feeding on plants we value, whether as food crops or for landscaping. Second is through interfering with the ability of businesses to ship goods across state lines, due to quarantines and regulatory constraints. Property values, tourism and outdoor venues are also highly impacted by the presence of this pest.

Nurseries and landscape professionals are some of our best resources to watch for this pest across the state. Reporting an initial find to the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) gives us the best opportunity to respond quickly and work to control a population before it spreads. Any suspect SLF should be reported immediately by contacting your area Plant Protection Specialist or by using the online reporting tool at ncagr.gov/slf. To report, take a picture of the insect with a size reference (like a pen), if possible, and keep the insect in a freezer until one of our staff gets in touch. If the insect gets away, please submit a picture of the place you found it — this can give us a good starting point for our survey. If the suspect SLF is found in an incoming shipment, the best practice is to seal the delivery vehicle (if still present); if the vehicle has left, keep all the delivered materials together in one designated area. This can keep the insect from spreading throughout your facility while NCDA&CS personnel mobilize.

The most wide-reaching impact of SLF will be its impact on interstate commerce. While North Carolina currently has no SLF quarantine, it remains to be seen what requirements will come from states where this pest is not known to be established. SLF is also going to impact homeowners as a landscape and nuisance pest. Many plants utilized by SLF can be found in the average homeowner’s yard and in multifamily housing and park landscapes. At present, homeowners are also encouraged to report all suspected SLF sightings to the NCDA&CS Plant Industry Division.

Efforts to control the SLF population at the Guilford/Forsyth county line continue, but we expect additional reports of this pest during summer 2023, particularly in urban areas, tourist destinations and transportation hubs. Early detection and rapid response are key to keeping this highly invasive pest from becoming established. Learn more about SLF and its lookalikes at ncagr.gov/slf. SLF posters, outreach materials and resources are available for your business and can be obtained for free by sending your request to badbug@ncagr.gov.

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