The Spotted Lanternfly found in Arlington on 10-3, was dead and was found by a resident, who happens to be a Master Naturalist volunteer in Arlington. It came with packaging on produce purchased from a local grocery store that originated in an area (Pennsylvania) where the bugs are well established.
We are on high alert for sightings of this invasive pest. This pest which feeds on a wide variety of plants is a leafhopper that uses piercing sucking mouthparts to do damage to stems and branches. Populations build rapidly once established and it is a pest of significant economic concern for grapes and fruit trees. It has a large array of host plants including it’s preferred host, the invasive non-native Ailanthus altissima https://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/tree/ailalt/all.html
Other concerns requiring public education include the production of large amounts of excrement that produces heavy growths of sooty mold on the plant and on the ground below where it is feeding and the use of systemic and broad spectrum insecticides that will threaten beneficial insects. Thank you all for your help in getting the word out.
Report a Spotted Lanternfly in Virginia: https://vce.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0fdsQXRg8TO8uzk Take photos. Note the location. Destroy the egg mass or insect. Report it and attach photos.
Locally, if you have questions about a positive ID either consult the information sheets below or contact the VCE Help Desk at [email protected] or at 703 228 6414
Below are publications that can be printed. I also have some color printed publications in the Arlington Extension Office at the Fairlington Community Center that are available to anyone who wants them. Pick up in the Help Desk area during hours of 9-12 or contact them at [email protected] or at 703 228 6414 to make sure they are there before you come.
Identification
- Virginia Pest Alert for Spotted Lanternfly
- Possible Spotted Lanternfly Egg Mass Look-alikes in Virginia
- Possible Spotted Lanternfly Immature Look-alikes in Virginia
- Possible Spotted Lanternfly Adult Look-alikes in Virginia
Control
- Best Management Practices for Spotted Lanternfly in Yards and Landscapes
- Residential Control for Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) in Virginia
Biology
- Lifecycle Calendar
- Detailed fact sheet on the life cycle and control of the spotted lanternfly
- UDSA information on the Spotted Lanternfly
Local Contact Information:
Virginia Cooperative Extension Office – Arlington County and City of Alexandria
Email: Kirsten Conrad, [email protected]
Phone: (703) 228 6414
Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS)
Email: [email protected] Phone: (804)-786-3515
Here is the Virginia Tech page on SLF. It also has links for pubs in Spanish too. https://ext.vt.edu/agriculture/commercial-horticulture/spotted-lanternfly.html