Update on new invasive pest spotted in parks: the Spotted Lanternfly

New pest detected in Cincinnati Parks

If you’ve been hiking in Mt Airy Forest recently you may have noticed mesh devices affixed to trees in certain parts of the park. Their purpose is to aid in the monitoring of a new invasive species emerging in the Cincinnati area: The Spotted Lantern Fly (Lycorma delicatula).

Spotted Lantern Fly (SLF) is an insect native to Asia. It was detected in early 2014 in Pennsylvania and it has since made its way to Cincinnati. Parks staff have found SLF at Mt Airy Forest and Parker Woods within the last few months.

Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissimia) is one of the main hosts for spotted lantern fly. Tree of Heaven, or “TOH”, is an invasive plant that can be found in Cincinnati and throughout much of United States. Tree of Heaven is where Spotted Lantern Flies will most likely be found, so it's important to recognize this tree if you are interested in helping to report on SLF.

TOH is a deciduous invasive tree with light brown to gray bark and compound leaves. Similar looking native plants in our area include Walnut and Sumac species. Walnut and Sumac have a leaf with a “toothed” margin while TOH can be distinguished from these by having just one notch near the base of its leaf. TOH also produces an unpleasant order that can be detected by crushing a leaf or scraping the bark. Please see this guide from OSU with more details Tree of Heaven vs. Sumac: How can you tell the difference? | BYGL (osu.edu) SLF will also feed on many native species and may become a stressor to them as populations of the insect increase.

At this time of year SLF is in its adult stage. They measure about an inch long, have a black head, grey-brown forewings with black spots (hence the name) with a red underwing.

The Conservation Land Management Team and Ohio Department of Agriculture have been collaborating to both monitor the spread of this emerging invasive while also combining efforts to stop it from moving even further into the region. If you suspect a spotted lanternfly infestation or find this insect individually, at any life stage, in Cincinnati Parks, please take a picture and report the finding to the ODA Plant Pest Control using the Ohio Plant Pest Reporter and email Drew Goebel of the CLM team at Drew.Goebel@cincinnati-oh.gov.

Written by Drew Goebel and Emma Wilson

Source: Tree Philly

Source: The Spotted Lanternfly Shop

Source: University of Arkansas