A Beautiful Bug and a “Heavenly” Host - Bad News for Norfolk

I recently received an official-looking letter in the mail from Virginia’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS), informing me that they have teamed with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to survey and pesticide-treat my area (Ghent) to suppress the Spotted Lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula. As Extension Master Gardeners, this pest is one we need to be informed about so that 1) we can be on the lookout for signs of it and 2) we can educate residents about the threat it poses and what can be done.

Some basics:

·       Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) is about as “pretty” a bug as you’re gonna’ find anywhere. Its preferred host is the tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima) – not a bad-looking tree. Both bug and host are invaders from Asia. If this were a comic book pairing, the bug might destroy the tree and then die off for lack of a food source. No such luck!

·       In addition to Ailanthus, SLF will feed on the sap of over 100 other species, including grape vines, hops, stone fruits, ornamentals, and landscape and forest trees. They are far from solitary, typically feeding together in large numbers. While feeding, they excrete honeydew, which leads to sooty mold, which does further damage to the plant. They present a clear agricultural, horticultural, and economic threat.

·       They’re on the move – with the aid of some pretty unexpected helpers. SLF lays its eggs on tree trunks or on any handy hard surface including grills, vehicles, trailers, firewood, outdoor furniture, bikes, toys, and trains. In the four years between 2014 (when it was first detected in Pennsylvania) and 2018, it had made its way to Northern Virginia and at least 18 other states and the District of Columbia. Now, it has been found in Norfolk, and specifically in Ghent.

So the letter in my mailbox, promising not just to search for and kill any SLF detected, but also to treat or destroy any Ailanthus, certainly got my attention. I’ve found lots of resources and pictures of the SLF in all its instars, and of its creepily disguised egg masses (and I do mean masses), on the DACS, the USDA, and the VCE websites. I hope this quick summary will inspire you to follow and explore these links and get smart about both species. There appears to be no need to report sightings of SLF in Norfolk at this point, (the state is obviously on the case!) but a call to our local VCE office to report would be a good idea. And if you spot them, or think you have, there is certainly a need to take steps to remove any Ailanthus on our properties, and to kill SLFs and destroy their egg masses wherever we find them.

·       From VDACS: https://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/plant-industry-services-spotted-lanternfly.shtml

·       From USDA: https://Spotted Lanternfly | Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

·       From VCE: https://Spotted Lanternfly in Virginia | Virginia Cooperative Extension | Virginia Tech