Spotted Lanternflies pierce the bark of the tree to drink the sap, which leaves the tree wounded and open to disease. They’re especially bad for grapevines, but they aren’t harmful to animals or people.
The lanternfly is indigenous to China and arrived in Pennsylvania in 2014. It's been spreading westward ever since. The tri-state has been saved from this nuisance, so far.
The insects are basically large, colorful planthoppers that damage their host trees by drinking the sap.
Biology Professor Keith Philips is with Western Kentucky University (WKU).
“So like any of these invasive species, once they leave their natural, sort of controls like predators and parasites parasitoids behind, there's sort of left or run amok.”
One method of control being explored is introducing its natural predator — a parasitic wasp.
Philips says some animals likely eat them — but might be an unattractive meal due to taste — based on the bright colors alone.
In the meantime, The University of Kentucky, the Indiana DNR and Illinois Department of Agriculture are asking residents to watch out for the colorful insect and report them online.
Indiana DNR page
Illinois Department of Agriculture
According to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, in July 2021, a population of spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) was identified in Indiana in Switzerland County, near the Ohio River. A second population was found in Huntington, Indiana in July 2022.
The flies were spotted in north eastern Kentucky.
The lanternfly recently appearing in Illinois for the first time, and is expected to be a nuisance, but not cause widespread deaths in trees.
Philips said they have no natural predators here. It can draw sap from more than 100 host trees and plants.
“All sorts of different types of hardwood trees, and, you know, grape vines and stuff. I mean, if it gets into California, I mean, my God, it won't be good for the California wine industry.”
Aside from simply wounding the tree from feeding, it can also cause mold to spread across leaves through its excrement.
Philips says an effective way to control their numbers is to scrape any eggs into a bucket of soapy water.
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