The gardening topic which has simply dominated discussions among gardeners and even non-gardeners in central Ohio in the past six to eight weeks has been the widespread presence of the dreaded spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula).
Populations of this non-native invasive insect which had been present in parts of Franklin County for the past two summers, exploded in numbers which resembled a biblical plague of locusts this summer.
The colorful moth-like adult stage of these planthopper insects seemed to be everywhere and anywhere in August and September. Controlling adult populations of this insect was challenging due to the sheer numbers of insects in many locations as well as the widespread locations of infestations.
While some chemical insecticides have been proven to kill this insect, applying insecticides to the locations where the insect is located can be challenging and can also harm beneficial insects in the landscape.
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Understand the life cycle
There is one generation of spotted lanternfly each year in Ohio. The adult insects lay eggs from September to November which hatch from April to June the following year. Egg masses are laid on the surfaces of trees, decks, fence posts, houses, outdoor equipment, rocks, etc., and are protected with a mud-like covering. Each egg mass contains an average of about 35 individual eggs.
Populations of spotted lanternfly exploded in Greater Columbus this summer.
After hatching and before reaching adulthood, the insect goes through four nymphal stages called instars. Newly hatched nymphs are less than 1/8 inch long and can be hard to find and are sometimes mistaken for small ticks or spiders. With each molt to the next instar, the nymphs roughly double in size. The first three instars are black with white spots. The last (fourth) instar is red with white dots and black stripes and are approximately 1/2 inch long.
Nymphs become adults in August and remain active as adults until they are killed by hard freezes later in the fall. Adults are the most obvious and easily detectable stage because they are large (about 1 inch) and highly mobile. Adults have black abdomens with yellow bands that become visible as they mature. Their forewings are gray with black spots, and the tips are black with gray veins, while their hind wings are red, black and white.
Only the adults have wings and can fly. However, because adults walk more than fly, their wings often remain closed, leaving only the forewings visible. This makes them more difficult to identify in low numbers, from a distance, or when they are high in a tree.
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A window for control in fall and winter
The key to preventing a larger explosion of spotted lanternfly nymphs next spring is to locate and destroy egg masses this fall and winter. The insect typically lays its eggs in a variety of places and on a wide range of surfaces. One common place to find eggs is on or near trees where the adult insects were observed the past six or eight weeks. Trees preferred by spotted lanternfly during the fall include red maple, silver maple and willows, so these trees are an excellent place to start looking for egg masses.
Egg masses can be destroyed by scraping them from the surface where they were laid into a solution of alcohol or soapy water and then disposed of in household trash. Eggs can also be destroyed by thoroughly smashing them. Avoid damaging the bark of trees and woody ornamentals when scraping or smashing egg masses.
Mike Hogan
It is important to keep in mind that you will not be able to reach all the egg masses deposited on a tree. Researchers have documented that less than 2% of the egg masses laid on large trees were at a reachable height of up to 10 feet from the ground, leaving 98% of the egg masses above reach on larger trees. We do not recommend using ladders or climbing trees to get to the unreachable eggs.
Each destroyed egg mass can remove about 35 spotted lanternfiles from the next year’s generation, but you are unlikely to destroy all egg masses in your landscape and continued management strategies may be necessary next spring and summer.
Mike Hogan is Extension Educator, Agriculture & Natural Resources and associate professor with Ohio State University Extension.
hogan.1@osu.edu
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: One way to help control the spotted lanternfly population
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