Invasion of the Spotted Lanternfly

You may have first seen the red and black-winged creature fluttering about your lawn, or outside the store or on a walk with your family. You didn't think too much about it, but one day you mused, 'I don't remember seeing this insect in Connecticut before.' Then it gets worse: you are outside Market 360 or Elm City Market in New Haven and you see a horde of them, most still alive, some smashed dead on the sidewalk. (I have wondered if these critters are coming in on the packages to these markets, but more on that in the future.)

I wanted to investigate, first speaking to people off the cuff — from a young woman at the train station to my dentist — and they agreed they are here, they are worried, and they've seen them.Turns out they are a serious threat to our environment, even while benign to humans. They harm crops including grapes and other fruity plants, and spread a type of sticky substance that produces mold on outdoor equipment, vehicles, clothing, pets and even your hair.

The lanternflies have been spotted throughout the Northeast including all Connecticut counties, as of last month. The most lanternflies are centered in the Southeastern part of the state, with Windham County not currently deluged. My unofficial analysis has observed swarms in New Haven but so far, not where I've been in Hartford. That does not mean they are not here, but they are not descending on the populus like lost aliens or flitting off my backpack when I get home. As early as last year Audubon asked us to report them.

According to CT.GOV last year:

"The SLF likely arrived in North America hidden on goods imported from Asia. The first detection of the spotted lanternfly in the United States was in Berks County, Pennsylvania in September 2014. SLF has now spread throughout southeastern PA. Since first reported in 2014, spotted lanternfly has spread to multiple states, and interceptions of single adults have occurred throughout the Northeast, including in Connecticut, in 2018 and 2019. In 2020, two small established populations of spotted lanternfly were found in Fairfield county in Connecticut. SLF has also been reported in New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia."

Unlike the adorable ladybug, the spotted lanterfly is not welcome here. And it should be noted, there are other critters that resemble the ladybug, called the Asian Lady Beatle. Ladybugs are native to North America and are considered beneficial for gardens because they help control aphid populations. Some say the Asian lady beatle has been beneficial, but now it's become too aggressive and is considered invasive. It has a black "M" shape on the head, unlike the ladybug.

Top photo: Aphaena submaculata (Hope,1840) Herkunft: West Malaysia, Camoron Highlands, By Tanja Popp - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38755808. Note, the lanternfly can vary in color. The ones we are deluged with in Connecticut look like the critters in the second image, snapped recently outside Elm City Market in New Haven.