A spotted lanternfly. Known for their distinctive red color under their wings, the polka-dotted invasive insect has spread across 18 states. (Courtesy of Lawrence Barringer, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Bugwood.org)
A tree-sucking, rapidly multiplying insect that’s already invaded other U.S. states has now been confirmed in Georgia.
The Georgia Department of Agriculture said that in October, a resident of a Fulton County apartment complex reached out to the agency with a photo of a spotted lanternfly.
Mike Evans, director of the agency’s Plant Protection Division, said the resident had seen the spotted lanternfly while bringing in groceries and recognized it from the news and social media from other states, where the distinctive looking red and black bug have swarmed. All those social media messages had specific advice, which Evans recommends himself.
“Take a picture, send it in, but squish the bug,” Evans said.
He said the Fulton tipster did just that.
Following this report, Evans said the Georgia Department of Agriculture had employees check the apartment complex.
“Unfortunately, it’s very rare to find just one,” Evans said. Around the complex he said the team found several specimens. They were particularly abundant around trees of heaven, a type of tree that spotted lanternflies flock to.
Evans said the spotted lanternflies have pinkish-gray wings with black dots, and when they are flying and their wings are extended you can see a bright splotch of red.
A spotted lanternfly with its wings outstretched. (Courtesy of Rebekah D. Wallace, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org)
Big bug problem
Evans said the spotted lanternfly is a concern for Georgia’s top industry: agriculture. He said that they are planthoppers, which are characterized by their straw-like mouths, and they could be detrimental to Georgia crops like grapes, stone fruits and apples.
“So what they do is they stick that straw into the plant and suck the juices out,” Evans said. They can also spread a substance called “honeydew,” a sugary substance that can promote the growth of harmful things like sooty mold that could make crops less marketable or hurt the crop altogether.
Spotted lanternflies were first discovered in the U.S. in 2014 in Pennsylvania, and since then have been spreading across the east in 17 states, and now Georgia. Evans said while state agencies knew it would show up sooner or later, they hadn’t expected it to show up in Georgia so soon.
During the winter, the lanternflies die back.
“The good cold weather we’ve had probably has killed a lot of the adults, if not the majority of them,” Evans said, “But the eggs are very hardy, and that’s what is the insect’s overwintering stage.”
He said when it starts warming up in about March or April, the young spotted lanternflies will emerge.
A spotted lanternfly nymph. Some nymphs may also be black with white spots. (Courtesy of Lawrence Barringer, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Bugwood.org)
Don’t pack a pest
Evans said the spotted lanternflies reproduce quickly and move across distances quickly.
“The insect is also a very good hitchhiker — and the egg masses,” Evans said.
When travelling across states, he has one piece of advice: “Don’t pack a pest.”
“One of the things that is just recommended is don’t take firewood with you,” Evans said. “And if you purchase firewood from somewhere else, don’t bring it back home.”
Spotted lanternfly eggs on a tree. (Courtesy of Kenneth R. Law, USDA APHIS PPQ, Bugwood.org)
That’s because the bugs or eggs might be tagging along. He also cautioned bringing plants or produce from your own gardens across state lines that haven’t been processed — he said packing facilities have measures in place to ensure that invasive pests aren’t being disseminated wherever their products are sent.
Lastly, he said to check your cars, RVs or campers for spotted lanternflies before driving home.
The Georgia Department of Agriculture instructs Atlantans if you see a suspected spotted lanternfly to take a photo, kill it, then submit a report online at https://www.gainvasives.org/slf/report/.
