Lanternflies are ready to annoy you
Returning to NJ; keep stomping them out, experts say
By: Amanda Wallace
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey
..... New Jersey residents should continue to stomp it out this summer [2026] as invasive spotted lanternfiles grow into adulthood, experts say.
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Native to Asia, spotted lanterflies were first discover in the United States in 2014 in Berks County, Pennsylvania. By 2018, the insects made their way to New Jersey and have since spread statewide.
..... Although the insets are harmless to people and pets, they are destructive to plants and can be a significant nuisance to people living in heavily infested areas.
..... Thus, year after year, officials have recommend that New Jerseyans do their part to help control the spotted lanternfly population and "stomp it out."
..... After so may ears, and so much stomping, are spotted lanterflies still an issue in New Jersey? Here's what we know.
..... Spotted lanterflies are still common in the Garden state, according to New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Ed Wengryn, who said in an emailed statement that the insects have become endemic in the region.
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"It's virtually impossible to wipe them out at this point," Montclair State University entomologist Matthew Aardema told NorthJersey.com in 2021. "It's a persistent species that can feed on a variety of plant species. They will continually radiate out."
..... Some natural predators have emerged over the years, Wengrn said, such as chickens and other birds. Farmers are also treating them as part of their regular pest control management, helping to keep the population under control.
..... Spotted lanternfiles living in the area will likely become much more noticeable around August, when they reach adult stage. The adults' forwings will be gray with black spots, and the wing tips have black spots outlined in gray, the state Agriculture Department said. The hind wings have contrasting patches of red and black with a white band.
..... Although the adults can fly, they generally prefer to hop or jump and glide, exposing their red hind wings.
..... The insects are already around, because spotted lanternfly eggs start hatching in the spring. However, they are harder to spot during this time of year, being in their nymph states, when they are small and black, white and red.
..... Generally, egg masses begin to appear in September and, unlike the adults, survive the winter, producing about 30 to 50 nymphs that hatch in late April or early May and grow to adulthood by late July or early August.
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The Agriculture Department said the adults can be seen from July until December.
..... Spotted lanternflies feed on sap from dozens of plant species and have a strong preference for plaints such as grapevines, maples and black walnuts, which are economically important. As they feed, they cause damage and significant stress to the plant, possibly leading to worsened health or even death.
..... The insects can also be a nuisance to people living in heavily infested areas. The Agriculture Department said that as spotted lanternfiles feed, they excrete honeydew, a sugary substance that can attract bees , wasps and other insects.
..... The honeydew can also build up, promoting the growth of fungi, which can cover the plant, forest under stories, patio furniture, cars and anything else found blow where they feed.
..... In 2023, sate agriculture officials added the last eight of the state's 21 counties to their spotted lanterfly quarantine zone. It meant that residents were required to check outdoor items, such as building materials, firewood and camping gear, for live insects or egg masses before moving them outside the quarantine area.
..... The quarantine remains in place for all 21 counties, says the state agriculture website.
..... Wengryn said New Jersey residents should continue the practice of killing spotted lanternflies on sight.
..... People are also encouraged to look for egg masses on tree trunks over the winter and destroy them, he said.