A spotted lanternfly is pictured after being found Saturday at Hogan’s Hut in Stow. Those who find a spotted lanternfly are asked to collect the insect, put it in a plastic bag and freeze it, or place it in a jar with rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer. Email a picture and location to spottedlanternfly@agriculture.ny.gov. Photo courtesy Chautauqua County Master Gardeners

State DEC officials say a spotted lanternfly spotted over the weekend at Hogan’s Hut was likely a hitchhiker from last season.

DEC officials quickly investigated the reported spotted lanternfly found in Stow, but say it’s too early in the to see an adult spotted lanternfly.

“The photo submitted of the (spotted lanternfly) shows an adult, but it is too early in the season for SLF adults to be present. First instar ((spotted lanternfly) nymphs began emerging in Tennessee and North Carolina a few weeks ago; the department has not yet received confirmed reports of (spotted lanternfly) emerging in New York state this year. Adult (spotted lanternfly) will not be seen in New York until July at the earliest,” said Hannah Birkhead, DEC associate public information director.

That’s good news for Chautauqua County, particularly its grape growing regions, which could see the spotted lanternfly wreak havoc with crops. According to the U.S. Agriculture Department’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the spotted lanternfly is an invasive planthopper that feeds on a wide range of plants, including grapes, hops, stone fruits, and hardwood trees – including Tree of Heaven plants that the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy has been trying to remove from the banks of the Chadakoin River over the past couple of years in an effort to eliminate the popular spotted lanternfly host plant.. The insect is known to feed on more than 70 plant species and is known as a good hitchhiker with the ability to move around during all stages of the insect’s life. Egg masses particularly have the ability to be transported long distances.

“The Department’s invasive species experts theorize that the dead adult found in Chautauqua County was a hitchhiker from last season,” Birkhead said. “While we appreciate any help in spreading the word about how to combat SLF, it’s important to note that Chautauqua County is not confirmed to have (spotted lanternfly) as of now.”

Locally, the spotted lanternfly has been confirmed in Buffalo and Syracuse — though in small numbers. New York’s first detection was in the late summer of 2020 on Staten Island, with the spotted lanternfly’s presence confirmed last year in Romulus, near the grape-growing region of the Finger Lakes, Geneva, Ontario County; Schenectady, Schenectady County; and Cohoes, Albany County.

The spotted lanternfly’s life cycle has them emerging from their eggs in May. During the winter months, Logue said it was encouraged to scrape off egg masses to decrease their population.

“It is a fairly small insect, black body with white spots,” Logue said of the insect while a juvenile. “It does not have the very showy wings of the adult spotted lanternfly.”

IDENTIFYING SLF AND SLF EGG MASSES

The adult spotted lanternfly are easy to identify at one inch long and half an inch wide at rest, with eye-catching wings. Adults are active from July to December and begin laying eggs in September. Eggs are laid in one-inch-long segmented rows of up to about 50 eggs covered in a creamy-white, putty-like substance that becomes pinkish-gray as it dries. After a few weeks the covering turns a darker tan and starts to crack, resembling a splotch of mud. Depending on the substrate, egg masses can be difficult to see and may be laid in protected locations that are difficult to inspect thoroughly. Photos and additional information about identification and SLF lifecycle is available on the state Integrated Pest Management’s website.

SCRAPING EGG MASSES

The spotted lanternfly can lay eggs on any number of surfaces, such as vehicles, stone, rusty metal, outdoor furniture and firewood. Scrape egg masses off their surface using scraper cards, credit cards, or anything else that is hard, tapered and flat. Kill the eggs by putting them into a resealable bag that contains rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer and dispose of them in the solution to be assured they will not hatch. Each egg mass contains up to 50 eggs, so removing as many as possible can reduce the numbers that will hatch in the spring.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU SEE A SPOTTED LANTERNFLY

As part of the state’s response efforts, the Department of Agriculture and Markets Division of Plant Industry are working with partners and stakeholders to determine the extent of the population in these newly reported areas. In December Ag and Markets officials said Upstate and Western New York residents should remain vigilant through the spring when spotted lanternfly eggs begin to hatch, and report sightings by following these steps:

– take a photo,

– collect a sample and place it in a freezer or in a jar with rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer,

– contact the spotted lanternfly responders and report spotted lanternfly directly at agriculture.ny.gov/reportslf, and

after reporting spotted lanternfly and collecting a sample, kill any additional spotted lanternfly by stepping on it or crushing it.