The Spotted Lanternfly has arrived in Prince William County

 

The latest invasive bug to arrive on the scene in Virginia is the spotted lanternfly, which is not a fly, but an aphid. This bug was first detected in Virginia in January 2018 and now has been confirmed in Prince William County. This pest destroys grapes, peaches, hops and apples.

The spotted lanternfly is native to China and is present in several Asian Countries.  In 2014 it was found in Pennsylvania where it has spread to 26 counties and to Virginia. The first counties to be infested were Clark and Frederick. Though the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) established a Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine for Frederick County and the city of Winchester to try and slow the spread of the spotted lanternfly to uninfected areas of the Commonwealth, it has arrived in Prince William County.

Spotted Lanternfly will lay egg masses on trees, but can also lay them on almost any other surface such as bricks, stone, lawn equipment, vehicles, and wood. The preferred tree species for Spotted Lanternfly as an adult and late stage nymph is "tree of heaven", Ailanthus altissima.  Tree of heaven is a non-native invasive tree that can be found throughout Prince William County.  It is often in disturbed habitats, particularly along wood edges and is often confused with similar looking natives. The long narrow leaves arranged in pairs across the plant’s stem do look like the black walnut; however, the reddish-brown twigs make it stand out. The tree of heaven is also known by a number of other names including stinking sumac, Chinese sumac, varnish tree and stink tree, the plant releases a strong, offensive smell, particularly from its flowers.  .  

Spotted Lanternfly nymphs and adults can be seen crawling up and down trees and will also congregate together in large groups to feed.  SLF feeds on sap.  Feeding can lead to oozing sap visible on the surface of trees and dark mold or fungi growing beneath the feeding area which can attract other insects. In late fall, Spotted Lanternfly adults will lay egg masses on host trees and nearby smooth surfaces like stone, outdoor furniture, vehicles, and structures. Keep your vehicles garaged (if you can)  to prevent the infestation from hitching a ride on your vehicle and infesting other parts of Virginia. 

You can help stop the spotted lanternfly in Virginia by making sure you don’t carry it to other locations and helping Virginia Cooperative Extension track its spread. Look for the distinctive bug to help. If you want to report a possible Spotted Lanternfly, snap a picture and go to Ask Extension:

• Report a suspect Spotted Lanternfly

The pictures below are from Viginia Tech as is the video above.