Spotted lanternfly

Spotted lanternfly
At Brooklyn Botanic Garden, New York
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hemiptera
Suborder:	Auchenorrhyncha
Infraorder:	Fulgoromorpha
Family:	Fulgoridae
Genus:	Lycorma
Species:	L. delicatula
Binomial name
Lycorma delicatula (White, 1845)
Subspecies[1]
L. d. delicatula Stal, 1863 L. d. jole Stal, 1863 L. d. operosa Walker 1858
Synonyms
Aphaena delicatula White, 1845

The spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) is a planthopper indigenous to parts of China and Vietnam. It has spread invasively to Japan, South Korea, and the United States, where it is often referred to by the acronym "SLF".^[2] Its preferred host is tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima), but it feeds on crops including soybean, grapes, stone fruits, and Malus spp.^[3] In its native habitat, L. delicatula populations are regulated by parasitic wasps.

The spotted lanternfly's life cycle is often centered on its preferred host, Ailanthus altissima, but L. delicatula can associate with more than 173 plants. Early life stages (instars) of the spotted lanternfly are characterized by spotted black and white nymphs that develop a red pigmentation and wings as they mature. Early life instars have a large host range that narrows with maturation. Adult spotted lanternflies have a black head, grey wings, and red hind wings. Adults do not have any specialized feeding associations with herbaceous plants but cause extensive damage to crops and ornamental plants. The piercing wounds caused by their mouthparts and the honeydew waste they excrete are harmful to the health of host plants. They feed on the sap of host plants, including the tree of heaven, an invasive tree.^[4] The damage to native hardwood forests which was feared at the outset did not come to pass.^[5] Unlike some insects, the spotted lanternfly does not pose direct danger to humans through biting or stinging.^[6] Spotted lanternflies lay egg masses containing 30–50 eggs, often covered with a grayish mud-like coating.^[7]

The species was introduced into South Korea in 2006 and Japan in 2009, and has since been considered a pest. In September 2014, L. delicatula was first recorded in the United States, and as of 2022,^[update] it is considered an invasive species in much of the Northeastern United States and is rapidly spreading south and west.^[8] L. delicatula's egg masses are the primary vector of spread, with Ailanthus altissima populations seen as a risk factor for further infestation globally. Ongoing pest control efforts have sought to limit population growth, due to the threat L. delicatula poses to global agricultural industries. Parts of the United States are undergoing massive pest control efforts to cull the spotted lanternfly's population. However, this process indirectly harms other species.^[9]