The Spotted Lanternfly

What is the spotted lanternfly?

The spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) is an invasive planthopper — a sap-feeding insect — native to Asia that was first detected in the United States in Berks County, Pennsylvania, in 2014. Despite the name, it is neither a fly nor a moth: it belongs to the planthopper family Fulgoridae, and it feeds by pushing a straw-like beak into a plant and drinking the sugary sap. It matters because it feeds on more than 70 kinds of plants — including grapevines, hops, fruit trees, and hardwoods — and because it spreads efficiently by hitchhiking, laying its egg masses on almost any hard surface, from tree bark to trailers, firewood, and parked cars.

Unlike the wood-boring beetles this site was built around, the spotted lanternfly does not tunnel into a tree and kill it from the inside. Its damage comes from sheer numbers feeding on sap at once, and from the sticky honeydew it excretes, which coats leaves, cars, decks, and patios and grows a black sooty mold. That combination has made it a serious agricultural pest — especially in vineyards — and a major nuisance for homeowners across the eastern United States.

What does the spotted lanternfly look like?

A spotted lanternfly looks completely different depending on the season, because it changes appearance as it grows, so identification is really four different insects to learn. The adult is the most recognizable: about an inch long at rest, with gray to pinkish-tan forewings marked with black spots, and — when it opens up or jumps — a flash of scarlet hindwing patterned in red, black, and white. Before adulthood come the nymphs: small, wingless, black-with-white-spots when young, then a vivid red-black-and-white in the final stage. Over winter, all you will see is the egg mass — a gray, mud-like smear on bark or stone.

• Egg mass (fall–spring): a 1-inch putty- or mud-like gray-brown smear; older masses look like rows of brownish seeds.
• Early nymphs (spring–summer): black with bright white spots, from about ⅛ inch growing to ¼ inch; strong jumpers.
• Late nymph (mid-summer): red with black stripes and white spots, roughly ½–¾ inch.
• Adult (mid-July into fall): about 1 inch long; gray forewings with black spots, red-black-white hindwings.

The card below summarizes the adult's field marks. For side-by-side photos of every stage — egg mass to adult — plus a month-by-month "what you'll see when" calendar, see the identification guide.

Why is the spotted lanternfly bad?

The spotted lanternfly is bad because it feeds in enormous numbers on high-value crops and trees, and because it spreads so easily by human transport. In a heavy infestation, hundreds of insects can cover a single plant, draining sap and stressing it while raining down honeydew. That honeydew feeds black sooty mold, which coats leaves and fruit — blocking sunlight the plant needs — and fouls anything beneath the tree: decks, cars, playsets, and patio furniture. Swarms of adults in late summer are also simply overwhelming to live with, gathering on porches and walls by the hundreds.

The economic threat is what drove the federal and state response, and grapes are the crop of greatest concern. Spotted lanternfly is a serious pest of grapes: heavy, repeated feeding reduces both yield and fruit quality, depletes the carbohydrate reserves a vine needs to survive winter, and in severe cases causes vine decline or death. Peer-reviewed research has estimated the insect has caused over $300 million in damage to U.S. viticulture since its 2014 arrival. Because it also readily lays eggs on vehicles, firewood, and outdoor gear, the lanternfly moves far faster than it could fly, which is why many infested areas are placed under a quarantine that restricts moving such items out of the zone.

As of August 2025, per USDA APHIS, spotted lanternfly populations are present in 19 states and the District of Columbia, concentrated in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Several of those states have established quarantine areas to slow its spread — a quarantine is a separate, state-managed designation, so it doesn't always cover every place the insect has turned up. Because these boundaries change every season, check the current APHIS page for the latest.

What plants and trees does the spotted lanternfly damage?

The spotted lanternfly feeds on more than 70 species of plants, but its clear favorite is tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima) — itself an invasive weed tree — along with grapevine. Where those are present, populations build fastest. Beyond its top hosts, the insect feeds on a wide range of crops and hardwoods, and the damage differs by plant:

• Grapevines — the most seriously harmed; heavy feeding can weaken and kill vines and devastate a vineyard's yield.
• Tree of heaven and young black walnut — among the few trees feeding is confirmed to kill outright.
• Fruit and hops — apples, stone fruit, and hops are all fed on, a concern for orchards and breweries.
• Hardwoods — maple, willow, river birch, and black walnut are common landscape hosts.

On most established shade and ornamental trees, the outcome is stress rather than death. Penn State notes that healthy, established ornamental trees have not been recorded dying from spotted lanternfly, though branch dieback and declining health do occur. The visible signs are usually weeping wounds and sap on the trunk, sticky honeydew and wasps or ants drawn to it, and a black coating of sooty mold on leaves and anything below.

Do spotted lanternflies bite or harm people and pets?

No — spotted lanternflies do not bite or sting people, pets, or livestock, and they are not venomous. Their only mouthpart is a slender beak made for piercing plants and sucking sap; they cannot break human skin and have no stinger. Penn State states plainly that the spotted lanternfly does not bite or sting. You can pick one up, and children and pets are in no danger from the insect itself.

If a curious dog or cat eats one, there is no known toxin in the spotted lanternfly and no reports of it poisoning pets, though — like any insect — a mouthful could cause mild, temporary stomach upset, and the insects often taste bad enough that animals spit them out. The real problem the lanternfly creates for people is not health but mess: the sticky honeydew and the sooty mold that grows on it make a nuisance of yards, patios, and vehicles wherever the insects gather.

How do you get rid of spotted lanternflies?

The most effective way to get rid of spotted lanternflies is to match your method to the life stage, because what works changes through the year. From fall through spring you target the egg masses — scraping them off surfaces into rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer, or crushing them thoroughly — which stops dozens of insects before they hatch. Through spring and summer you kill nymphs and adults, either mechanically or by fitting a circle trap around the trunk of a favored tree. Where infestations are heavy, EPA-labeled insecticides give added control, and removing tree of heaven — the lanternfly's preferred host — lowers how many the yard can support.

One important caution: skip the homemade sprays. Penn State Extension specifically warns against DIY remedies like dish soap, salt, vinegar, and "natural" concoctions, because they can burn or kill your plants and grass, harm people and pets, and are illegal to use as pesticides — all without reliably controlling the insect. Our full control and treatment guide walks through each life stage, which insecticides extensions actually recommend, when to call a professional, and exactly what not to do. For the trap options in detail, see the spotted lanternfly traps comparison.