Mark Sturtevant Loc: Grand Blanc, MI

Late last summer, the family traveled to New Jersey to visit family. Since our last visit about 8 years ago, the invasive Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) had made its way to the area, and so I expected that I would be photographing them. There was certainly no problem in doing that, since the buggers were just about everywhere! They decorated my brother-in-laws’ house, forming solid patches in some areas. There were dense gatherings of them on tree trunks, and they were flying through the air like locusts. So here are adults and nymphs. Younger nymphs are black and white spotted, but this was late summer so I did not see those. Photographing them was slightly challenging since they are powerful jumpers, but with so many opportunities to get pictures it was like fish in a barrel.
Spotted lanternfly by Mark Sturtevant, on Flickr
Spotted lanternfly by Mark Sturtevant, on Flickr

The hind wings of the adults are also quite colorful. I have not found anything about the colors being a warning that they are toxic. Although definitely pretty, it did not take me long to develop a strong dislike for Spotted Lanternflies!
Spotted lanternfly by Mark Sturtevant, on Flickr

The Spotted Lanternfly is native to China, and there it is under control by parasitic wasps. They were first detected in the U.S. in 2014, and have rapidly spread. Now the entire eastern half of the country has them, and there are isolated populations out west as well. I know they are not too far south of me in Michigan, but I’ve not seen them yet. They rapidly disperse mainly by their egg masses that can be transported on anything man-made. These herbivorous plant-sucking insects will feed on almost 200 plant species, and are considered a serious pest on grape vines. But many of our ornamental trees are fair game as well, and besides being obnoxious to humans, their large numbers are stressful for their host plants. So they have become a significant pest in practically no time.
Their preferred host is by far Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus), which is a rather noxious (though attractive) invasive tree that has been widespread in the U.S. for at least a century. So with a favored host plant already widely established, there is little to slow the spread of the Lanternfly!
The last picture is a typical scene on Ailanthus. But I have seen masses far denser than this.
Spotted lanternfly by Mark Sturtevant, on Flickr
Spotted lanternfly by Mark Sturtevant, on Flickr

Curmudgeon Loc: SE Arizona

Beautiful shots. Their sure pretty, to bad they are so destructive

docshark Loc: Millersville, PA

Great shots of these destructive pests. I lived in Berks County for 37 years and they "originated" in the western part of the county. Seems they were brought to the country in a shipment of stone pavers from Asia. The state knew about them but didn't tell anyone until it was too late. At a state meeting of the Entomological Society of Pennsylvania they were ask about an invasive insect that may have been introduced. The two state guys just looked at each other and said that they weren't at liberty to talk about it just yet. The next year they came clean about them and by then it was too late. Penn State and Kutztown University tried to mobilize anyone in he county to stop the pest. People were scouring the county forests scraping egg masses, drilling holes and "injecting" Roundup into Ailanthis trees etc. Every person in the county knew what they looked like along with the egg masses but by then it was too late. The problem is that they can get up inside your car and be spread by people traveling antwhere and spreading them. Millions of dollars of grapes and other pit fruit crops are being destroyed.
>i< Doc

Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis

Fantastic set!!

sippyjug104 Loc: Missouri

Excellent series and images of a true environmental terrorist.

tinusbum Loc: east texas

love these shots!