Lycorma delicatula, also known as the Spotted Lanternfly, was introduced into the United States in 2014, and has slowly been spreading from Southeastern Pennsylvania & Philadelphia. This insect feeds on fruit and hardwood trees as well as grapevines and poses many threats to our economy. Its favorite tree, Ailanthus altissima or the Tree of Heaven, is an extremely invasive plant found in many states all over the US. It has no natural predators here, so its populations are exploding, and you may see thousands of them covering your trees or backyards. In this video, I cover their life cycle from egg to nymph to adult stages. I present on their diet and why they are such an invasive, dangerous insect that will inevitably spread throughout the country. Lastly, I show you all 7-8 different ways to trap, kill or get rid of them. Hopefully this helps and good luck combating them in your area!
Timeline:
0:00 - Introduction
0:29 - Where did the Spotted Lanternfly come from? How did they get to the US?
1:18 - Comparison to Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs
1:35 - Background of SLF's life cycle (Egg, first / second / third / fourth instar, adult)
2:55 - Adults Emerge - they have wings and can fly (kind of)
3:26 - Female laying eggs on Tree-of-Heaven
3:51 - What does the Spotted Lanternfly Eat?
4:40 - Why is the lanternfly bad / dangerous to our economy?
4:58 - Lanternfly poop is called Honeydew
5:47 - What eats the Spotted Lanternfly? Are there any predators?
6:18 - How to get rid of the Spotted Lanterfly
7:00 - Stomp them out!
7:23 - Tape your Trees (with wire)
8:03 - Plastic Bottle Trick!
8:19 - Use a Shop Vac or cordless vacuum cleaner!
8:25 - Get rid of your Trees of Heaven, and replace them with a native tree!
8:51 - Dawn / Soap or detergent and water in a bucket
9:04 - DO NOT spray a general pesticide!
9:23 - Get creative - Fly Zapper
9:41 - Report the Spotted Lanternfly if this is the first time you're seeing it in your area (links below).
Websites to report sightings to:
Pennsylvania -
Ohio -
Delaware -
Virginia -
New Jersey -
New York -
Background Music by WATKINZ -
Video Credits:
Flags in the bottom right-hand corner of the video credit the photographer, videographer, YouTube channel, iNaturalist account or Facebook page. Clips without a flag are my own footage, recorded with an iPhone. Below are links to pages where I obtained photos and clips, covered under Section 107 of the Copyright Act (Fair use - education):
Biosecurity New Zealand -
Nguyen Dang Vietnam -
Delaware Department of Agriculture -
Lkats on iNaturalist -
MSU College of Agriculture & Natural Resources -
Special thanks to Andy Heydt for permission to use hatching nymphs. Awesome picture!
New York State Integrated Pest Management -
Nat Geo -
Bayucca on Project Noah -
Jeremy Squire, Photographer
Elias Bader, Photographer
Ken's Garden -
Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture -
herc1120 -
amseln on iNaturalist -
Nature Now - Chris Egnoto -
Anne302 on iNaturalist -
Emilie Swackhamer -
Penn State Extension -
SVF TV -
Tom Paragian -
Jeff Schaeffer, photographer
Cynthia Dunlap Ellis, photographer
Katelyn Smith WGAL News 8 -
Philly Rehabbers -
Gardener's Path -
KYW Newsradio -
PSU Lehigh Valley -
Syngenta Pest -
TerrorTyler -
Rosemary Northcutt
Bug-A-Salt -
VLog Cabin Life -
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