Spotted lanternfly (SLF) is a type of planthopper insect native to Asia.

Report a Sighting of SLF

If you think you have found SLF, please try to collect a sample or take a quality photo, and then PLEASE REPORT it:

• Call or email Plant Pest Control Section of the Ohio Department of Agriculture: (614) 728-6400 or plantpest@agri.ohio.gov
  OR
• Report via mobile app:  EDDMapS Great Lakes Early Detection Network

Discovery

It was first discovered in North America in southeastern Pennsylvania in 2014. Additional infestations, or individual SLF or egg masses, have since been documented in several other states.

Threat

SLF feed on a wide variety of woody and herbaceous plants, causing wilting and dieback and stress that can make host plants more susceptible to damage by other biotic or abiotic factors. Favored hosts include the non-native invasive tree-of-heaven, grapes, and hops. In addition to feeding damage, SLF nymphs and adults produce copious amounts of sticky, sugary liquid known as “honeydew” which can be attractive to ants, flies, and wasps. The honeydew is also colonized by a fungus called “sooty mold” which can ruin grape and hops harvests, decrease photosynthesis, and is generally unsightly. SLF nymphs and adults may also congregate in swarms in yards and farms, making them a nuisance pest. Egg masses laid by females are light gray and covered by a mud-like substance and can be deposited on nearly any relatively flat surface such as tree trunks, buildings, fences, rocks, vehicles, or train cars.

Management

Management of SLF is focused on preventing their spread on vehicles or other objects through quarantines, trapping of nymphs, removal of host plants, and chemical control.