You may have seen these pesky little bugs with spotted wings whirring around outside this summer. Or maybe you have seen numerous people trying to stomp on them so hard, they splatter everywhere. What you’re seeing is a rapidly increasing number of lantern flies, which are an invasive species not native to New York State.
The spotted lantern fly originates in China, and its first sighting in the US was in Pennsylvania around 2014. They arrived in the US in egg masses on a shipment of imported stone from China in 2012 and have been rapidly spreading ever since. They spread so fast because the lantern flies lay sturdy eggs on various surfaces such as outdoor furniture, firewood, and even different vehicles. These eggs eventually produce nymphs (an immature insect which does not have fully developed wings) that are black and have white spots. After 6-8 weeks they start showing more of a red color with white spots and become an adult by shedding their skin.
These flies may seem harmless, but they are slowly destroying our ecosystem. They secrete a sticky substance called honeydew, which can eventually promote mold growth and kill off different plants and insects. Lantern flies are especially harmful in vineyards since they suck out the sap and weaken the vines. This leads to a reduced fruit yield as well as wilting, leaf curling, and eventually vine dieback.
As an invasive species, the lantern flies are naturally going to disrupt the food chain, leaving their population to grow unchecked. Without any predators in their new habitats, there’s no one using them as their own food source which means they are able to keep reproducing and thriving.
Since the lantern flies are becoming an up and coming issue in our area, there are a few ways you can try to help get rid of them. The most common method is to stomp on them whenever you see the flies. (“See it, squish it.”) Another way is to try and remove their egg masses by scraping them off the surface into a container of some sort with rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer. Then, you would seal the container and throw it away to never be seen again. Specifically for lantern flies who are in the nymph stage, you can wrap tree trunks in sticky tape or lantern fly bands that will trap tiny nymphs crawling up the tree. This method usually only works during the spring/summer time because that’s when they are out. Lastly, you can report any sightings to the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets at agriculture.ny.gov/reportSLF or e-mail [email protected]. By reporting sightings of lantern flies, you can help track where the flies are spreading to. Using any of these methods can be a huge help in aid to get rid of the lantern flies and to keep our ecosystem healthy and free of mold growth. Without enough people helping to stop the spread of the lantern flies, this can lead New York into an economic loss of $300 million annually. This is from the huge agricultural damage that the lantern flies create, especially in the vineyards, apple orchards, and to many different tree species. This money would also be spent on tree removal, property maintenance, and pest control, in order to keep the flies out of unwanted areas.
According to many New York State public officials, Lantern Flies are causing a real disruption to our environment. Governor Kathy Hochul said in a post on X, “Keep an eye out for spotted lantern flies. This invasive pest can cause real damage, and can impact tourism and recreation.” Sean Mahar, an interim Commissioner for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) said how New Yorkers have an important role in trying to stop the spread of Lantern Flies. He also mentions how the DEC is working with the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets to help monitor the spread of the flies.
Even though Spotted Lantern Flies are tiny, they are still quite mighty. With the power of secreting honeydew, they can cause huge agricultural losses for NYS and hurt rather than help our environment. So if you see them flying around, make sure to try your best and help get rid of them.
