![]() The nymphs hop around and feed, molting several times before their final molt into adults that can fly. They hatch in the spring as wingless nymphs. Since then they have been breeding and spreading. ![]() ![]() We suspect that they were introduced several years before they were first detected in September 2014. They probably arrived as an egg mass, stuck to a pallet or similar packing material and were received by an unsuspecting recipient who did not notice them. Several years ago, (September 22, 2014) they were discovered in southern Berks County, Pennsylvania. There can be secondary damage in the form of sooty mold, egg mass residue and similar issues. No, not directly in the manner that termites or carpenter ants can do structural damage. (Check out the picture of the tarsal claw in our photo section) The only thing close to a bite we have experienced is a pinch or poke from the legs of the lanternflies hanging on to us. We have personally been in highly infested areas and literally covered with dozens of spotted lanternflies at a time, and have never been bitten. We have heard several stories of and from people who think they have been bitten by a spotted lanternfly, but couldn’t swear that they either saw the physical bite take place, or that it wasn’t a horsefly, mosquito or other such native insect. Their mouthparts, which are fused into a straw-like beak that they insert into plant tissue to suck up sap (phloem), are not capable of penetrating human skin. Spotted lanternflies, however, are native to countries in South East Asia. ![]() We have many native species of planthoppers in the US. Spotted lanternflies (Lycorma delicatula) are planthoppers from the order Hemiptera like our native aphids, cicadas, or leafhoppers. All facts below are a guide based on actual observed behaviors, combined with reputable science.įor the record, it's lanternfly or lanternflies, one word, not lantern fly or lantern flies. This fact sheet is an attempt to clear up many of the misconceptions people have about spotted lanternflies. ![]()
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