Spotted Lanternfly Identification & Management
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See a Spotted Lanternfly? Report it.
Help protect Maryland's crops, trees, and natural resources by reporting spotted lanternfly sightings. Your report helps us track and manage the spread of this invasive pest. We are taking reports from every county in Maryland. A picture is required when submitting a report.
Please note: Submitting a report does not generate a response from our team or serve as a request for more information.
Spotted Lanternfly Basics
Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) is a planthopper native to eastern Asia.
Lifecycle
- Egg Mass – Typically egg masses are laid on host trees, Though they can be seen on any flat surface, including fences, wood piles, cars, tires, trash cans, etc. Eggs are laid in rows and then covered with a greyish coating. A female can lay up to 3 masses. They are commonly mistaken for a splash of mud or dirt. They will survive the winter and then hatch in the spring.
- Early Instar Nymph – Hatch from April to June. Early instar nymphs grow until they molt in July. You will find them on newer growth including saplings.
- 4th Instar Nymph – We see 4th instar nymphs beginning in April. They are distinctively red and show a more prominent wing pad. They will continue to grow until they molt into adults.
- Adult – They are about 1 inch in length. They have bright red hind wings, that you will not see when their wings are closed. They can be found as early as July, but emergence depends on the weather. They will remain active till the first freeze. Females will begin to lay eggs in September and will continue to do so until first frost.
Physical difference between early nymphs, 4th instar nymphs and adults cause most to second guess themselves when identifying. Spotted lanternfly molt as they develop. Freshly molted spotted lanternfly will appear pink. Their molts fall to the ground and can mistaken for dead spotted lanternfly.
Hosts
The primary host of spotted lanternfly is tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima). Tree of heaven is also an invasive species, which has been in the U.S for hundreds of years. Learn more about tree of heaven.
Spotted lanternflies have about 70 secondary hosts including: wild and cultivated grape, black walnut, red maple, silver maple, weeping willow.
Feeding & Plant Damage
Spotted lanternfly do not feed on flowers, leaves or fruit. Instead, they eat phloem or sap from the trunks and stems of their host plants.
Nymphs fed on over 70 species of plants, including apples, apricots, blueberries, cherries, grapes, hops, nectarines, peaches, oak, pine, and poplar, among others.
Adults prefer to feed on tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima), another non-native invasive species.
SLF feeds by inserting its proboscis into the stem or trunk of a plant. It then sucks photosynthate from the plant. Feeding can cause stunted growth, reduced yields, and reduced winter hardiness of the host.
As the insects feed, they excrete a sugary honeydew that attracts bees, wasps, and ants, as well as supports the growth of black sooty mold that blocks sunlight from leaves. When the black sooty mold sits on decks, furniture, cars and other outdoor furniture or equipment, it can become sticky and difficult to remove.
How Does Spotted Lanternfly Affect Maryland?
In 2014 a stone shipment was sent to Berks County PA with spotted lanternfly in tow. Since then, we have had confirmed sighting in 18 states including Maryland. Our first sighting was in 2018 in Cecil County. As of 2025 we have seen spotted lanternfly in 20 of our 23 counties, including Baltimore city. They pose a risk to local Maryland vineyards, can impact our local ecosystem, and are a nuisance to Maryland citizens.
Spotted lanternfly feeding is a significant stressor. Though we have not seen plant death due to spotted lanternfly alone. It has been shown to stunt growth, reduce crop yields and cause localized damage.
Maryland vineyards are at unique risk from spotted lanternfly feeding. We have seen a reduction in winter hardiness and a reduction in yield due to spotted lanternfly feeding.
Spotted lanternfly pose no danger to you or your pets. They are non-toxic if ingested by pets. They will not bite or sting you.
How You Can Help Stop Spotted Lanternfly
- Learn the insect’s unique appearance and inspect your property. If you see a suspected SLF and you are outside of a quarantine zone, snap a photo, squash it immediately, and report your sighting to the Maryland Department of Agriculture.
- Inspect vehicles, trailers, and any other movable items on your property. Make sure that these items are clear of SLF before moving them.
- Trap infested trees on your property using circle traps.
- Use insecticidal formulations. Contact the University of Maryland Home & Garden Information Center to receive the most current information on insecticidal options.
Residential Management of Spotted Lanternfly
The Maryland Department of Agriculture does not have the resources for any residential treatment of spotted lanternfly or tree of heaven. Eradication of spotted lanternfly is not something that is feasible at this moment. However, management of spotted lanternfly is possible and can provide relief.
We will highlight recommended management tactics and information here. However, you can find more information on spotted lanternfly at the following sites:
Mechanical Control:
This is our recommend method for spotted lanternfly management. These methods are the least environmentally impactful. They are also easily accessible to every Maryland citizen.
- Flyswatters and nets are easy ways to catch and kill spotted lanternfly.
- Hand vacuums or shop vacuums can remove spotted lanternfly from vegetation and structures around your property. Spotted lanternfly caught can simply be thrown away.
- Circle traps are a great way to passively trap spotted lanternfly. They do not require a lure or any chemicals. Spotted lanternfly are poor flyers and climb up trees to feed on stems and jump to glide to their next location. The circle trap cut off access to the tops of trees and funnels them into a plastic bag. This bag can be replaced and the old one thrown away. We do not recommend sticky tape or glue traps, as they have a high rate of by-catch, Often leading to beneficial insects, small mammals, reptiles and even birds getting caught. You can purchase pre-built traps online. Or you can follow a tutorial here to build one yourself. It is important to remember that the mesh must wrap around the entire tree. If not spotted lanternfly can by-pass the trap. It can be necessary to use two traps to fully cover a tree.
- Removal of egg masses in the winter is also effective. Every egg mass you remove is 30 – 50 less spotted lanternfly that will hatch in the spring.
Chemical Treatment
There are no insecticides on the market that will exclusively kill or repel spotted lanternfly from a property. Chemical treatment would require repeated treatments, which can be costly. Certain insecticides should only be used by professionals. It is also important to not treat your lawn for spotted lanternfly, as they do not reside in lawn grass and will not be impacted.
- Specific information on chemical insecticides you can use can be found by contacting your local University of Maryland Extension office. You can fill out an online request form.
- We cannot recommend specific pest companies as we are the regulatory agency.
The Maryland Department of Agriculture does not have the resources to conduct chemical treatment at residential properties. For questions concerning what your county offers, Reach out to your local University of Maryland extension office or your county specifically.
Tree of heaven Management
Tree of Heaven is also an invasive species. If you have tree of heaven on the property you can remove it. The Maryland Department of Agriculture does not have the resources to remove tree of heaven for you. To successfully remove tree of heaven you will need to completely remove its roots system. Cutting it down will trigger a defense mechanism resulting in shoots emerging around the base of the cut tree. Learn more about controlling tree of heaven.
Using tree of heaven as a “trap" tree is a recommended spotted lanternfly management method. Setting up circle traps on these trees can result in mechanical removal of spotted lanternfly.
Removal of other plant hosts is not recommended. Removal of tree of heaven will also not guarantee spotted lanternfly will avoid or leave your property.
Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine & Permits
Learn about the spotted lanternfly quarantine in Maryland.
If you have questions about the quarantine and what it means for you, please contact us at [email protected]
