Invasive Species

For an invasive pest, the spotted lanternfly is a beautifully colorful insect with delicately spotted wings that unfold to reveal a striking pastiche of red, white and black. But don’t be fooled—this planthopper can be destructive, feeding on nutrients sucked from inside plants and leaving behind sugary honeydew that later turns to sooty black mold.

The insect is native to Asia, where it traditionally feeds on the tree species Ailanthus altissima, commonly called tree of heaven. Insect predators keep the spotted lanternfly’s population in check in its native habitat, but in recent years, the species has begun to spread worldwide, likely through global trade. After being found in Pennsylvania in 2014, the damaging pest has now been spotted in nearly a dozen other states.