18 July 2024
They’re back. Well, actually, they never left but they haven’t looked like this since last fall. Up until now spotted lanternflies (Lycorma delicatula) in western Pennsylvania have been present as egg masses or nymphs.
Yesterday a winged adult lanternfly landed on John English’s window feeder in Homestead. This is the first report I’ve received that adults have emerged.
Their population will follow a well known arc. A smattering in mid July, lots more in August, an invasion in September.
Have you seen an adult spotted lanternfly yet? Leave a comment and let me know when you saw the first one.
p.s. I just got back from a week in Virginia where I learned that spotted lanternflies are indeed in Virginia wine country. They are really bad for grapes. Yikes! Here’s the 2024 map from New York State Integrated Pest Management and Cornell University.
Saw my first one this morning, the 18th, South of Pittsburgh in Jefferson Hills.
Yep, saw one in my yard — my Venus fly trap made a meal out of it. More accurately, I should say it tried, but by morning it opened back up and the lantern fly was now dead, though intact.
I saw my first one the day before yesterday (7/16) at my friend’s place in White Oak. There are trees-of-heaven up in the woods behind his apartment, and last year we saw large numbers of nymphs and adults. Numbers of both seem down this year so far.
According to my sister’s FB post, one landed in her coffee while she was sitting outside her house in Baldwin on Tuesday.
I killed 4 nymphs so far. I spotted one adult but I’m not sure I actually killed it. In Bloomfield where last year they completely destroyed the neighbors grape crop.
I saw the first adult on Monday July 17 in Castle Shannon. Still seeing the black and white and the red instars, too.
Sorry – Monday July 15!
I saw a dead one on a sidewalk in Shadyside today, 18 July.
I saw my first adult on July 16 at my house in Verona.
My husband saw an adult SLF yesterday in our backyard in Swissvale.
I saw an adult on the Great Allegheny Passage Trail at the Waterfront in Homestead last Saturday, July 13. Killed a bunch of nymphs too. I missed getting the adult. The working goats were there.
Saw a dead one in Squirrel Hill this week. A lot of nymphs. Trees of heaven are on the hillside behind our community. Last year was horrible.