Spotted Lanternfly

Click here to report a sighting to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

Description:

The spotted lanternfly is an insect species that is native to China (Francese et al. 2020). Spotted lanternflies feed on “phloem”, a sugary tissue that plants and trees need to feed and grow. Spotted lanternflies are adaptable to a wide range of host plants including apple, grape, black walnut, butternut, maple, willow, oriental bittersweet, sawtooth oak, chinaberry, hops, and their favourite host, the tree of heaven (Urban 2019, Murman et al. 2020).

Introduction and spread:

Spotted lanternfly were likely introduced to North America via egg masses laid on stone imports from Asia (Urban 2019). The first North American detection was in Pennsylvania, USA, in 2014 (Barringer and Ciafré 2020).

Spotted lanternflies can naturally spread short distances by flight. They can also disperse longer distances by being accidentally transported by humans. Human-aided movement can occur with any life stage of spotted lanternfly but is particularly likely for egg masses (Urban 2019). This is because egg masses are difficult to spot and can be deposited on a range of substrates including stone, wood, live plants, and inorganic materials like plastic and rubber.

Potential industrial vectors (i.e., means of movement) for spotted lanternflies include shipping pallets, containers, cargo, trains, commercial trucks, and imports of stone and wood.

Potential domestic vectors for spotted lanternflies include firewood, vehicles (cars, trailers, ATVs), hiking or outdoor gear, and pets (Cook et al. 2021).

Distribution:

Since introduction to Pennsylvania in 2014, spotted lanternflies have spread to many other eastern states in the USA (Cornell CALS 2022). They have not yet been detected in Canada, however dead spotted lanternfly have been found on commercial trucks coming from the States. There is continued risk of their introduction to Canada from either the United States or Asia.

Impacts:

• Feeding spotted lanternflies create weeping wounds on trees and can cause dieback or death of host plants (Barringer and Ciafré 2020, Cook et al. 2021).
• Spotted lanternflies threaten high-valued grape, tree fruit, and forest industries (Francese et al. 2020). They may also threaten industries for maple syrup and Christmas trees (Harper et al. 2019, Urban 2019).
  • Potential impacts include reduced growth, lower yields, and poorer quality of fruit (Barringer and Ciafré 2020, Cook et al. 2021).
  • In Pennsylvania, spotted lanternflies have inflicted millions of dollars of damage on the agriculture and forestry industries, and it is estimated that they could cost the economy as much as $324 million per year if they are not contained (Harper et al. 2019)
• Their sugary excrement (“honeydew”) accumulates below host trees. Honeydew develops black mold that reduces photosynthesis and growth of understory plants and attracts wasps and bees (Urban 2019, Barringer and Ciafré 2020, Cook et al. 2021).
• Spotted lanternfly damage will exacerbate impacts of other ecosystem stressors like climate change and land use change (Barringer and Ciafré 2020).

Life Cycle:

Management Actions:

Everyone can help prevent introduction of spotted lanternflies to Canada by doing the following:

• Check before you go.
  • Check your vehicle. Spotted lanternflies can spread by hitchhiking or laying eggs on cars, trailers, campers, or ATVs. Inspect your vehicle for all life stages of spotted lanternflies. Remove any plants, insects, and even mud – egg masses can look like mud splatters! Pay particular attention to your vehicle’s underside and wheel wells. Use water or compressed air to remove mud or plants from your tires or fenders. Sweep out your trailer and camper.
  • Check your outdoor items and gear. Spotted lanternflies are found in agricultural, residential, industrial, and forested areas. So, it’s important to inspect and clean ALL your outdoor items and recreational gear, including grills, lawn furniture, yard games, tents, hiking boots and backpacks.
  • Don’t move firewood. Spotted lanternflies feed and lay eggs on many tree species. Buy firewood close to where you will burn it, so you avoid transporting unwanted hitchhikers. Leave unused firewood on site.
• Destroy it! Scrape off and destroy egg masses by crushing them in rubbing alcohol, hand sanitizer, or soapy water. Destroy nymphs and adults by crushing them. Keep any samples in a sealable container to provide to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) for confirmation.
• Observe and Report. Visit inspection.canada.ca/pests to find out how to report your sighting to your local CFIA office. Visit reportcanadainvasives.ca to learn how to report invasive species sightings in your province/territory or use a reporting app.

If a spotted lanternfly invasion occurs, other management actions include insecticide application, trunk traps, removal of preferred host trees, and use of detection dogs to find egg masses (Francese et al. 2020, Nixon et al. 2020, Cook et al. 2021, Essler et al. 2021).

Additional resources:

• ‘Check Before You Go’ fact sheet
• Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s Spotted lanternfly fact sheet

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